Ready to become a Living Wage Employer? Get accredited today with the Living Wage Foundation. We will cover three years' worth of accreditation. Read on to find out how to to 1) get accredited, 2) sign up for the grant.
How to become accredited
You can become an accredited employer through the Living Wage Foundation by agreeing to pay both your directly employed staff and contracted staff at least the London Living Wage, currently set at £11.95 per hour.
If you have any questions, email the Business team at business@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
What do I need to do?
1. Pay the London Living Wage to all your directly employed staff
2. Have a plan in place to pay your contractors a London Living Wage
3. Check your business fulfils the Conditions for the Grant
4. Complete the Living Wage Foundation form to gain your accreditation (it doesn't matter which order you do step 4 and 5 in)
Complete the form
5. Complete the Royal Greenwich form for the grant.
Complete the form
Background
The London Living Wage is an independently set, voluntary hourly rate of pay. It is the only rate calculated based on the rising cost of living. The current rate in London is £11.95 per hour.
We have introduced a scheme to offer a one-off grant covering the cost of three years of accreditation. To access the grants, employers must commit to pay all their directly and sub-contracted staff at least this rate and show their commitment by accrediting through the Living Wage Foundation.
This will not only help to raise living standards for Royal Greenwich residents, but will also allow employers to experience the many business benefits that accreditation brings.
Why become a Living Wage Employer?
The London Living Wage accreditation has been shown to have a wealth of benefits for employers.
Find out why local employers are committed to paying the real Living Wage rate and the benefits for businesses.
93% businesses benefitted from accreditation
86% reported it improved the reputation of their business
75% said it increased motivation and retention rates of employees
Conditions for the grants
To qualify you must:
1. Be an employer and occupy a commercial property within the Royal Borough of Greenwich with a
2. Become accredited with the Living Wage Foundation (and be able to provide an accreditation agreement).
3. Commit to and implement the agreement to pay the London Living Wage for a minimum 3 year period, with the Living Wage Foundation (failure to do this may result in recovery of the grant)
4. Confirm that any award under this scheme will not result in the organisation exceeding the State Aid threshold
5. Continue to occupy a commercial property within the Royal Borough of Greenwich for at least 3 years of becoming accredited (otherwise any grant will be reclaimed – the grant however
would remain if the organisation occupies another property within the Royal Borough of Greenwich)
Amount of the Grant Award
A grant of 3 times the annual London Living Wage accreditation fee is being offered to businesses employing less than 251 staff.
The level of grant award will be dependent upon the size of business and is set out in the table below
|
Organisation Type |
Size of organisation (including 3rd party) |
Grant award (to cover the cost of accreditation for a 3 year period) |
|
Private sector |
51-250 |
£720 |
|
|
11-50 |
£360 |
|
|
0-10 |
£180 |
|
Charities / Public sector |
51-250 |
£720 |
|
|
11-50 |
£360 |
|
|
0-10 |
£180 |
The Living Wage Foundation monitors organisations and should any business break the agreement within 3 years then any grant awarded will be reclaimed on a pro rata basis.
The grant is a one-off award to cover the cost of accreditation. Where an organisation occupies more than one property within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, only one award will be made (the applicant can specify which property).
State Aid and Subsidy Allowance
European Union laws restrict the amount of state funding businesses can receive. This includes government grants, loans or tax reductions. The EU State aid rules no longer apply to subsidies granted in the UK following the end of the transition period however the following scheme rules are to be applied to subsidies on the basis of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA). Applicant businesses will need to confirm that any likely grant award through this scheme will not exceed the set limit for the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance
If you have any queries, whether it's a question about the conditions or you need help with completing the form, please contact the Business Team at business@royalgreenwich.gov.uk