The pay level for the considered adequate standard of living is not being met by many employers outside of London with one in four jobs failing to pay the living wage. 23% of jobs outside of the nation’s capital failed to pay the living wage with 19% not paying the wage in the city.
The Living Wage is set by the Living Wage Foundation, and set at £7.85 an hour outside London and £9.15 in London.
Despite the popularity of the Living Wage and the positive image seen across the country through the wage, many are still failing to pay such a wage. Indeed, the number of companies paying the wage has shown to have fallen in the last year. This comes despite historic events that saw companies like Hearts of Midlothian and Lidl became the first in their field to pay the living wage in their field.
A spokesman for the Living Wage Foundation said: "Despite significant progress in many sectors, more jobs than ever are below the voluntary living wage rates that we recommend.
"These figures demonstrate that while the economy may be recovering as a whole, there is a real problem with ensuring everyone benefits, and low pay in still prevalent in Britain today."
Although the government have rebranded the National Minimum Wage to the National Living Wage, the two aren’t connected. Although it is not illegal to pay below the Living Wage, it is illegal to pay below the National Minimum Wage (£6.70).
If you believe you are being underpaid in work and wish to take legal action or require legal advice to negotiate a settlement agreement, contact us today using our online contact form.
