The Scottish Charity Regulator, OSCR, is the first UK charity regulatory body to have become an accredited living wage employer.
Employers that have been accredited by the Living Wage Foundation commit to paying a real living wage of £8.25 per hour to all employees or third-party contractors. National minimum wage is £7.20 for those over 25 and £6.70 for those under 25.
Jude Turbyne, head of engagement at OSCR, said: “Last year we began looking into what we had to do to receive the accreditation and the organisation is delighted to now have it. We are in our tenth year as Scotland’s charity regulator and hope this demonstrates the faith we have in our hard working staff.”
Charities should lead the way
The real living wage is calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Foundation. The Poverty Alliance helps to deliver the initiative in Scotland.
Writing a blog on the OSCR website, Lynn Anderson, accreditation officer for the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative, said that the charity sector could do more.
“Against a backdrop of concern over future economic stability and an increasingly competitive environment, I recognise that charities are feeling the pinch,” she said.
“I am certainly not the first person to highlight that the third sector has a role to play in leading the Living Wage revolution, but many are facing disillusionment around the barriers that hinder the sector to step up to the challenge. Despite aspirations to commit to Living Wage, the reality is often balancing support of Living Wage with the pressure of managing tight budgets.”
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