Care home meals provider apetito has committed to paying from January the ‘real’ living wage - the voluntary hourly rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.
The Wiltshire company, which employs 1,400 people, will adopt the new recommended level - £9.50 per hour across the UK and £10.85 in London – ahead of the foundation’s suggested implementation date by 9 May.
The pay rate differs from the National Living Wage, which the former exceeds by more than £1 an hour for those under 25 and includes provision for higher costs of living in London.
apetito director of corporate affairs and policy Lee Sheppard supporting the living wage is “the right thing to do”.
“We fully support the Living Wage Foundation and its principles as we don’t believe the government’s national rates go far enough. Paying a fair wage not only improves our employees’ quality of life but also benefits our business, and society as a whole,” he added.
As part of the living wage accreditation, the company also insists all its contractors adhere to the new voluntary pay-rate.
“We embed these same principles in everything we do whether in the support of our customers, or across our supply chain,” said Sheppard.
“We value our staff across every role in the business and I truly believe that the accreditation shows how we are making a real difference and creating a workplace that we can all be proud of,” he added.
