Why we're a (real) living wage employer

Hari, one of our vertical farmers, shows off Harvest London’s Living Wage accreditation

What is a living wage? Well, it depends who you ask.

In the view of the Government, the National Living Wage is £10.42 an hour. According to new rates announced recently by the Living Wage Foundation, however, a true living wage needs to be £12 an hour across the UK, and £13.15 in London.

That's a big difference, equivalent to over £5,000 a year for a worker in London. How can two things with very similar names be so different?

The Living Wage Foundation starts from the position that a living wage should be based on what it actually costs to live. Their calculation is based on the prices of things people need to pay for, like food, housing and childcare. When these rise, and they have been rocketing up recently, the wage rate rises.

In contrast, the Government's National Living Wage is actually just a slightly higher rate of the legal minimum wage for workers over the age of 23. Rates are based on a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission, made up of representatives from industry, academia and trade unions, but Ministers make the final decision.

Unlike the legal minimum wage rates, the Living Wage Foundation's rate is completely voluntary. Over 14,000 UK companies have signed up, though, including Harvest London.

Why have we chosen to pay everyone at least this (real) living wage? The simple answer is that we want to grow food in a better way. That means not using chemical pesticides, using less water, protecting our soil and rivers. It also means creating good, dependable jobs, paying our farmers a wage they can actually live on.

This week is Living Wage Week, when employers who are part of this movement celebrate their staff and show their commitment to always raising pay as the cost of living rises.

If you'd like to hear when our delicious fresh produce, grown with both the environment and our staff in mind, will be available near you, join our waiting list below.