Proud to be a Living Wage Employer
It's National Living Wage Week, so we’re celebrating the fact that we are an Accredited Living Wage Employer.
Community Gateway committed to Preston City Council’s Living Wage Initiative in November 2012 and became formally accredited as a Living Wage Employer in October 2014. We are the largest social landlord in the city and employ almost 300 colleagues, making us a Preston anchor institution. We have a great platform to share our commitment to paying the real Living Wage and to share with others our positive experience of the benefits it brings. The Real Living Wage rate for 2024 has been announced as £12 per hour.
As a socially responsible employer, it’s really important to us to pay the Real Living Wage. Our current and future colleagues know that we have made a commitment to paying them an hourly rate that is calculated based on the real cost of living in today’s world. The Living Wage logo is used across our recruitment pages and promoting our Living Wage accreditation as part of our benefits package allows us to demonstrate our overall approach to fairness and equality. 80% of our colleagues live in a PR postcode area, meaning that at least some of money we spend on the real living wage goes back into our local communities, helping them to thrive
In addition to the benefits to the individual, organisations paying the Living Wage also see improvements including increased productivity and motivation. Our entry level roles all pay the Real Living Wage rate, resulting in a high volume of applications to these vacancies. We are passionate about recruiting, developing and retaining our valued colleagues, and delighted that this accreditation forms part of a package helping us to retain our talent.
Here’s what some of our Living Wage colleagues had to say:
“It’s had a huge impact on my personal life, allowing me to afford to do a lot more and go more places in my spare time.”
“It’s showed me that CGA have a huge amount of trust in my ability, which has given me a boost in confidence and allowed me to grow my knowledge in my job role.”
“Being on the Living Wage means that I don’t have to worry about money; I can enjoy myself whilst saving for my future. It’s amazing how much of a difference it has made to my overall wellbeing.”