Tag Archives: Living Wage Foundation

Unexpected reward for paying London Living Wage

Working at height expert, CAM Specialist Support has been presented with the London Borough of Lewisham’s Employer of the Year award for commitment to its staff, including paying the London Living Wage.

The picture shows the award being presented to CAM Director, Matt Johnson (left), by Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, when he visited the Company’s offices, along with council colleagues, as part of Living Wage Week. The council delegation wanted to find out about CAM’s experience of paying the London Living Wage and developing its workforce through apprenticeships. CAM is one of only two private sector organisations in the borough accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

Matt Johnson explained: “We pay the Living Wage, because we believe it is the right thing to do morally. We want everyone who works here to be able to feed and clothe their families and not be worrying about in-work poverty. As well as the moral benefits, we’ve found there are commercial returns as staff are more loyal and flexible when they are being treated with respect, reducing recruitment time and costs. Paying the Living Wage also means people are less likely to take shortcuts while working and we have an excellent safety record as a result.

“We were honoured when the Mayor wanted to come and visit us to discuss how we work and how other businesses can be encouraged to join the Living Wage movement. We were surprised and delighted when he presented us with the Employer of the Year award, as it is always great to be recognised for doing the right thing. We hope more businesses will realise the benefits of paying the Living Wage to their staff and contractors so that everyone receives a fairer deal.”