RBH becomes an accredited living wage employer

RBH employees at Freehold Community Base

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has become the first major employer based in Rochdale borough to be accredited as a Living Wage Employer. This means that every RBH employee earns the Living Wage, currently £7.65 per hour.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually, based on the cost living in the UK. The Living Wage campaign has been running for ten years and has lifted over 45,000 people out of poverty.

Angela Lomax, RBH Non-executive Director and HR Committee chair, said: “We're delighted that RBH is now an officially accredited Living Wage employer. As the first tenant and employee co-owned mutual housing society, it is important that we keep to our values. Paying the living wage brings significant benefits not only to RBH and our employees but also for our tenants and the communities we serve”

A recent independent study of the business benefits of implementing a Living Wage policy found that more than 80% of employers believe that the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their employees. 66% of employers reported a significant impact on recruitment and retention within their organisation, and 70% of employers felt that the Living Wage had increased consumer awareness of their organisation’s commitment to be an ethical employer.

Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The benefits the Living Wage brings to employees and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by RBH on this important issue.”