POST Update – August 2024
Back in August 2022, The Mackman Group became a Living Wage employer. We are proud to now be celebrating our second anniversary, marking two years of commitment to fair wages and positive workplace practices.
Over the past two years, we’ve reached several milestones and achieved notable success as a Living Wage Employer. Our dedication has led to increased employee satisfaction and a stronger company reputation. We are proud of the positive changes and growth we’ve seen within our team and the broader community.
The Living Wage community is also continuing to grow. In July 2024, the total UK Living Wage employers exceeded 15,000. This means 1 in 9 UK workers now work for a Living Wage Employer.
We remain committed to the Living Wage movement and we are excited about what the future holds. As we look forward to celebrating the Living Wage Week in November, we invite you to follow our journey on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
ORIGINAL POST – AUGUST 2023
As an employer committed to paying a real living wage and having our staff at the core of who we are, we have seen first-hand how the company benefits from staff productivity, increased motivation at work and staff retention.
What Is The Living Wage?
The genuine Living Wage stands out as the sole wage standard in the UK that reflects the actual cost of living. More than 14,000 UK businesses have willingly adopted this measure, driven by their belief that their employees should receive a wage sufficient to cover everyday necessities, such as the weekly food shopping or to cover an unexpected bill.
Thanks to the Living Wage campaign, over 460,000 workers have seen an increase in their wages. It is notable that this initiative garners wide support from across the political spectrum. The Living Wage Foundation boasts a diverse group of accredited employers, counting among them half of the FTSE 100 and prominent household names like Nationwide, Google, LUSH, KPMG, IKEA, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Linklaters LLP, alongside numerous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Mackman Group is therefore proud to be part of a national movement to raise the level of pay for the lowest paid across the UK.
The real living wage is higher than other UK wage rates and is an independent assessment of the minimum hourly rate that people should be paid to work based on the actual cost of living. Unlike the Government’s minimum wage or National Living Wage, the real living wage is a voluntary decision employers make so they can pay their employees more, and we are proud to have made that important decision.
Living Wage Employers Provide Financial Stability
In the cost-of-living crisis environment we find ourselves in, we are proud to put our employees first and believe that being a Living Wage Employer provides financially stable working conditions for employees to thrive and enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
“I am delighted we are celebrating our accreditation anniversary as we continue our Living Wage accreditation for another year. It is important to pay staff a fair wage, especially given the current economic climate, and at The Mackman Group we are proud to do just that“
– Paul Mackman, Managing Director
The Mackman Group is currently one of four Sudbury-based businesses with the Living Wage accreditation and we are proud of the environment this accreditation has helped us build for our staff. Whilst this has not changed the way we work, it has provided a secure environment for our staff to thrive and develop themselves at work whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
“The Living Wage has helped me to maintain a good work-life balance, allowed me to live comfortably outside of work, and enabled me to transition smoothly from academia to the start of my career.”
– Dylan Gant, Graduate Creative
As well as being an accredited Living Wage Employer, we are an accredited Living Hours employer. The Living Hours programme requires employers to pay a real Living Wage and commit to providing staff with secure, guaranteed working hours. We go beyond this at Mackman, and our full-time working week is set at 35 hours, discouraging an excessive working hours culture and promoting a work-life balance.
“I’m thrilled that we have this initiative in place to support junior staff members recognising their value to our team. The benefits package for entry-level staff is fantastic as a result. It is reassuring to know that junior members of our team will be paid fairly, alongside the training and experience they gain.”
– Chloe Kichenbrand, Group Operations Manager
