Parish of St Helier becomes Living Wage employer
The Parish of St Helier has become the latest employer in Jersey to become a Living Wage employer.
This means islanders who work for the Parish will now be paid at least the Living Wage, £11.27 an hour.
Jersey's Living Wage sits 2% higher than London's, to accommodate the higher cost of living in the island.
The Living Wage considers the cost of living, taxes and the value of benefits available to "working people" on lower incomes.
The aim of the Living Wage is to make sure that workers earn enough to live, not just survive in Jersey.
The Jersey Living Wage Campaign Team Leader, Jennifer Bridge, said: “We are thrilled that the Parish of St. Helier has been accredited as a Living Wage employer. Accreditation signals that the Parish of St. Helier value those that work for the Parish as all staff and contractors are paid at least the Living Wage.”
Caritas Jersey has been licensed by the Living Wage Foundation in the UK to manage and roll out the ‘Living Wage’ in the island.
The purpose of encouraging employers to sign up as Living Wage employers is to play a part in eradicating poverty in Jersey
Patrick Lynch, CEO of Caritas Jersey, who runs the Living Wage Campaign in Jersey, said: “It is wonderful that the Parish of St. Helier has become the first Parish to become accredited. Caritas is hugely pleased with the recent surge in interest in our Living Wage Campaign and our work to lift people out of poverty by ensuring they receive a Living Wage.
"We look forward to working with the other island Parishes with the hope that they will follow St. Helier and become accredited as Living Wage employers.” Connétable of St. Helier, Simon Crowcroft, welcomed St Helier becoming the first Parish to attain the accreditation.
"The Parish of St Helier directly employs over 220 permanent colleagues in a wide range of sectors including community, care and childcare. Achieving the accreditation is important to us as it is calculated according to the real costs of living, based on a basket of household goods and services.
"We believe that work should be rewarded by a level of pay that can provide a basic standard of living and to allow people to provide for themselves and their families. We feel that accreditation allows us to demonstrate our commitment to paying a fair wage to all staff: employees and contractors.
"Achieving the accreditation demonstrates the Parish of St Helier’s commitment to its employees and the Parish’s aims in respect of engagement with the local community. We aim to continue to be an employer of choice, by paying a fair wage we hope to continue attracting and retain the best people to support our strategy."