Hands Up for Trad has become the latest accredited Living Hours employer in Scotland.
Living Hours accreditation requires employers to pay the real Living Wage to all their employees over the age of 18 and commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.
Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.
Hands Up for Trad has been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2024. This announcement of their commitment to Living Hours further demonstrates the importance they place on setting standards for fair work.
Simon Thoumire, Creative Director, Hands Up for Trad said:
At Hands Up for Trad, we’ve always believed in the importance of fair work first in the traditional arts sector. Becoming a Living Hours accredited employer is a natural extension of our commitment to the real Living Wage. We’re proud to lead by example, ensuring our team members not only receive fair pay but also enjoy the security of predictable hours and incomes. This accreditation reflects our values and our dedication to creating a sustainable and equitable environment for everyone in our organisation. We hope this step encourages others in the cultural sector to consider how they too can contribute to fair work standards in Scotland.
Rachel Morrison-McCormick, Projects Coordinator, Living Wage Scotland said:
“There are over 3600 Scottish-based employers that are committed to paying at least the real Living Wage, and it’s fantastic to see Hands Up for Trad take further steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work by becoming Living Hours accredited.
The values that led them to commit to the real Living Wage are the same values that have led to their expanded commitment to fair work at a time when workers need it most.”
Research published by the Living Wage Foundation showed that over 9% of workers in Scotland are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. This is approximately 250,000 workers. The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.
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Notes to Editors
About Living Hours
The campaign for a real Living Wage has ensured hundreds of thousands of workers are earning a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. But millions of low paid workers are also struggling to get the hours they need to make ends meet. That’s why the Living Wage Foundation has developed a new standard of what good looks like for those employers that can offer ‘Living Hours’ alongside a real Living Wage.
Living Hours is a new standard that sets out what good looks like. It calls on employers to provide the right to:
- Decent notice periods for shifts: of at least 4 weeks’ notice, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.
- A right to a contract with living hours: the right to a contract that reflects accurate hours worked, and a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours a week (unless the worker requests otherwise)
In July 2021, the Scottish Living Hours accreditation scheme was launched, with the aim of increasing the number of Scottish employers recognised for offering Living Hours alongside a real Living Wage. The scheme is delivered through a partnership between the Living Wage Foundation and the Living Wage Scotland programme at the Poverty Alliance, funded by the Scottish Government.
About the real Living Wage
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to ensure their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
The UK Living Wage is currently £12 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £13.15 per hour. These rates were announced in October 2023.
The rates are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.
The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the UK movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.
About Living Wage Scotland & The Poverty Alliance
Living Wage Scotland was established in April 2014 by the Poverty Alliance with the aim of increasing the number of employers in Scotland who are recognised for paying their staff the real Living Wage.
Living Wage Scotland is a partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and is funded by the Scottish Government.
The Poverty Alliance is the national anti-poverty network in Scotland with a long track record in working with individuals and communities affected by poverty to take action, and in providing support to influence policies solutions in Scotland.
Accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland span private, public and third sectors. SMEs make up 75% of the total number of employers and more than half of Scotland’s councils are accredited. Find out more at Living Wage Scotland
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