Osprey Housing Group has been accredited as a Living Wage employer after successfully negotiating with its affected suppliers to match the minimum hourly rates required.

Osprey itself has been paying at least the Living Wage to its own staff since its inception, but could not achieve the accreditation until affected third party contracted staff also received the minimum hourly rate of £8.75.

Chief executive Glenn Adcook said: “This accreditation is very welcome and it makes a clear statement both about the type of employer we want to be and what we expect of our suppliers.

“We are delighted that we have been able to negotiate with contractors concerned to promote payment of Living Wage rates and we felt a shared responsibility with our suppliers to ensure their staff, connected to Osprey, benefited. This is an important statement about Osprey as the latest Scottish Parliament figures show there are still nearly half a million employees in Scotland earning under the real Living Wage.”

The accreditation programme in Scotland launched in April 2014. It is an initiative from The Poverty Alliance in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and is funded by the Scottish Government. The Living Wage rate is significantly higher than the statutory minimum for over 25s of £7.50 per hour introduced in April 2017.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The real Living Wage is one of the key tools at our disposal to help make an impact on levels of in-work poverty in Scotland. There is a strong business case for paying the Living Wage, but crucially allows those in work to become more included in society, better provide for their families, and feel that their value and hard work is recognised by their employer.

“We are delighted to congratulate Osprey on becoming a Living Wage employer, joining the growing movement of over 1000 companies in Scotland who want to go further than the government minimum and recognise that Living Wage accreditation is the mark of a responsible employer. I hope more organisations follow their lead by becoming accredited.”

Osprey has 1,800 properties in ownership and management in 70 communities in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray. It employs 34 staff in its offices in Westhill and Lossiemouth.