CBI chief Paul Drechsler sounds alarm over the National Living Wage September 8, 2015 The boss of one of Britain's biggest business bodies has warned over the unforeseen impact of the National Living Wage, amid growing concern from some of the companies that will be affected. "I've talked to several chief executives and been surprised by the impact on their profits of the change," Paul Drechsler, chief executive of [...]
Costa Coffee and Premier Inn parent Whitbread plans to raise prices to mitigate “substantial” National Living Wage costs September 8, 2015 Picked up a coffee on your way into work this morning? You might find it starts costing a little bit more in future. Costa Coffee and Premier Inn parent group Whitbread has warned that it will be forced to introduce "some selective price increases" across the business as part of measures to tackle rising [...]
Employer confidence falls to lowest level since 2012 as the introduction of living wage looms September 8, 2015 Employer confidence is at a three-year low, a new survey of 2,000 companies shows. Data from recruiters Manpower show that the UK has a net employment outlook of four per cent, when you subtract the number of companies who intend to reduce staffing levels from those intending to hire. Manpower attributes this to employers worried [...]
Winners and losers of Living Wage campaign – The City View September 7, 2015 The problem with nuance and complexity is that they get in the way of simple government announcements. Take, as a prime example, the debate around the national minimum wage (NMW). The Low Pay Commission (LPC) was created in 1998 to offer independent advice on the NMW – precisely because politicians were deemed incapable of resisting [...]
Living wage is set to boost women’s pay September 3, 2015 Three in every 10 female employees in the country are set to receive pay rises due to the new minimum wage for over-25s, according to a report out today by independent think-tank the Resolution Foundation. The measure, announced in July’s Budget, will initially be set at £7.20, 50p above the National Minimum Wage which [...]
National living wage: All businesses will end up paying it – but time is running out to reap the rewards of good publicity September 2, 2015 Another big name has increased pay and got the press coverage that it deserves. Oliver Bonas is the first high street retailer to commit paying its employees and third-party contractors the Living Wage. This is an optional rate (£9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 an hour elsewhere) set by the Living Wage Foundation. [...]
Pay hike on the cards as Oliver Bonas becomes first UK high street chain to pay living wage August 31, 2015 Gifts and homeware retailer Oliver Bonas has provided a major boost to the high street after committing to paying its staff the living wage. The chain, which has 43 UK stores as well as a warehouse and head office in Chessington, announced it will start paying all directly-employed staff and third party contractors at [...]
National Living Wage will “destroy jobs”, says ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King August 29, 2015 Justin King, former chief executive of Sainsbury's, has described the National Living Wage as “ludicrous”, and claims it will “destroy jobs”. Read more: July Budget 2015: Will George Osborne’s new national living wage hit the number of people in work? During a discussion on BBC Radio 4's The New Workplace, due to be aired at [...]
Ikea creating a happy home for workers too as firm embraces living wage July 28, 2015 One of the crucial aspects of the chancellor’s Budget was the commitment to raise the living wage for over 25s to £9 per hour by the year 2020, a rise from the current rate of £7.20. Our immediate post-Budget research showed the policy to be very popular – across supporters of all of the [...]
London rental prices: Renters on living wage priced out of every postcode in the capital July 27, 2015 Exorbitant room rents are pricing low-paid workers out of all parts of London, as new data shows that there is no longer a single postcode in the capital where you can afford to live on the London living wage. On average, renters earning a living wage put more than half of their salary, 56 per [...]