The Living Wage Champion Awards recognise Living Wage employers and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage, and are proudly sponsored by Aviva, KPMG and the City of London Corporation.
The CIPD’s purpose is to champion better work and working lives, setting the standard for excellence in people and organisation development through a community of more than 145,000 members across the world. The organisation was commended for its use of an innovative pilot, partnering with the Living Wage Foundation, to encourage CIPD members to champion the campaign through their networks and further the reach of the Living Wage.
The pilot ran from October 2017 to May 2018. It involved nine senior leaders, or “champions”, across diverse industries - from finance and retail to education and not-for –profit - to undertake a range of activities to promote the Living Wage. This included influencing their direct and indirect contacts, speaking at events, social media activity and blogging. A working group has now been convened with members of the pilot to explore further methods to champion a real Living Wage within organisations across the UK.
Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD, commented:
“We’re delighted to be recognised for our work in creating Living Wage champions from within our membership. HR professionals are in a unique position to influence change in their organisation, helping to encourage employers to think about what they are offering their staff and find solutions that benefit the wider workforce as well as adding value to the bottom line.
“Paying the Living Wage is the right thing to do for employees and we believe pays back over time through higher levels of commitment, engagement and productivity, and by being recognised as an organisation that that cares about its employees’ financial well-being. We look forward to continuing to work with the Living Wage Foundation and encouraging more employers to sign up to the movement.”
Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:
“Congratulations to the CIPD on becoming a Living Wage Champion award winner. They are leading the way in placing dignity and respect at the heart of their organisation, and have gone above and beyond in promoting the Living Wage.
“Over 4,300 employers have now signed up to the Living Wage movement, and their leadership is making a profound difference to the lives of families and communities across the UK. The CIPD’s work in celebrating and championing the Living Wage has been vital to its success.”
The Living Wage is an hourly pay rate set independently, updated annually, and calculated according to the basic cost of living. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
The awards were judged by an independent panel of business and community leaders.
