According to an investigation by the BBC only ten of Scotland’s 50 biggest employers are actually paying workers the living wage.
Whilst there is no legal obligation to employ workers at the living wage, it is deemed the level that workers can live comfortably on. Currently it is 21% higher than the legally-set minimum wage of £6.50.
Living Wage Policy
The living wage has been introduced by more than 1,000 employers across the UK, with an agreement between many vowing to pay staff. Companies such as Barclays, Standard Life and many local councils and charities all pay the living wage.
However, the research by the BBC found that none of the teams in the Scottish Premier League were paying staff the living wage, however, many large companies stated that they did provide other aspects such as discount cards and loyalty schemes.
Peter Kelly from the Poverty Alliance, which promotes the living wage,stated that football clubs needed to do more and lead the way regarding living wage. He said: "It's really unacceptable, I mean we would say the same about the majority of businesses in any other sector not paying the living wage - we really think that they can.
"These are clubs that are leaders very often in their communities. They need to be showing leadership in terms of pay as well, there's a lot more they could be doing."
Not Costing Extra
Some of the firms currently paying staff the living wage believe that in the long-term it is not costing more money, with staff being satisfied to work and fewer employees leaving their job, eliminating training costs.
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