After being the first local authority on Merseyside to ensure its employees are paid a Living Wage, Wirral Council is set to become the first to offer companies discounted business rates if they do the same.
Larger firms in Wirral could save as much as £5,000, with varying discounts for smaller companies who pay adult employees £7.85 an hour.
Leader of Wirral Council, Councillor Phil Davies, said: ‘Everyone should have the opportunity to provide adequately for themselves and their families. Low pay and the poverty trap affect thousands of workers. A Living Wage can make a real difference to people’s lives.’
‘There are benefits for companies too – an independent study for the Living Wage Foundation found that more than 80% of employers believed that implementing the Living Wage had enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism had fallen by around 25%. Paying the Living Wage is not only the decent thing to do, it has proven benefits for business also.’
For more information about this initiative, please visit the Council website.
