The accreditation is a recognition that the group is committed to paying its 3000 employees, as well as contracted staff, the real Living Wage of at least £12.60 per hour. 

The real Living Wage is an independently calculated rate based on the cost of living and is paid voluntarily by employers.

Wheatley Group – which comprises four social landlords, a care organisation, Foundation and two commercial subsidiaries – now joins 3750 Living Wage-accredited employers across Scotland.

Tom Arthur, minister for employment and investment, joined staff at Wheatley House in Glasgow city centre to mark the accreditation. 

Employment minister Tom Arthur said: “It is encouraging to see Wheatley Group join a growing number of employers which are paying the real Living Wage.

“At last week’s draft Budget, we allocated £3.5 million to support fair work practices such as payment of the real Living Wage.

“The Scottish Government has championed the real Living Wage since 2015 and we have made it a legal requirement for all organisations receiving grant funding from a public body to pay the rate. This has enabled Scotland to have the highest proportion of workers being paid at least the real Living Wage or higher in the UK.” 

The real Living Wage is set independently and updated annually by the Resolution Foundation.

It is based on an analysis of the wage employees need to earn in order to afford the basket of goods – including things such as housing, childcare, and heating costs – required for a decent standard of living. Wheatley has until May 2025 to implement the new rate of £12.60 an hour.

Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland manager at the Poverty Alliance said: “The real Living Wage is one of the most important tools at our disposal to help make an impact on levels of in-work poverty in Scotland and we are delighted Wheatley Group has become an accredited Living Wage employer. 
 
“Accreditation ensures that both directly employed and contracted staff have the security of a real Living Wage. I hope more employers follow the example of Wheatley Group by choosing to go beyond the legal minimum to ensure workers can earn a wage that covers their needs and live with dignity.”

Louise Smith, Wheatley’s strategic director of group people services, said: “At Wheatley, we value our staff and appreciate how hard they work every day to support our customers.

“Paying the real Living Wage helps us recruit and retain staff and is also good for morale and productivity. Importantly, it’s also the right thing to do. 

“It is another way Wheatley is an employer of choice and an organisation people are proud to work for.”