Living Wage Scotland

Living Wage Scotland was established in April 2014 by the Poverty Alliance with the aim of increasing the number of employers in Scotland who pay and are recognised for paying their staff the real Living Wage.

Living Wage Scotland is a partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and is funded by the Scottish Government.  

Since the Poverty Alliance launched Living Wage Scotland in 2014:

  • Over 2,800 Scottish employers have become accredited
  • 57,000 workers have had a pay rise as a result of accreditation
  • £365 million has been put into workers’ pockets

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate calculated according to the cost of living. Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay.

The Living Hours programme was launched in 2019 and Living Wage Scotland began delivering this to Scottish based employers in 2021. Living Hours builds upon Living Wage accreditation in the campaign to end insecure work.

Employers who join the scheme commit to:

  • at least 4 weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period
  • a guaranteed minimum of 16 working hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise)
  • a contract that accurately reflects hours worked

For more information on how to become an accredited Living Wage employer or to find out more about Living Hours, visit Living Wage Scotland

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