4Couture is now accredited as a Living Wage Employer! Their commitment to the real Living Wage ensures that everyone working at 4Couture will receive at least a minimum hourly wage of £10.90. This is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour.
Dorset-based business 4Couture is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of Corporate Clothing, Workwear and Branded Promotional Merchandise.
Obtaining the accreditation might be a recent development, but the team at 4Couture are no stranger to fair wages – they’ve been paying their employees higher than the minimum wage since the company was incorporated 20 years ago. The official Living Wage accreditation confirms their existing commitment to making sure that all 4Couture employees get a fair deal.
Founder and CEO of 4Couture, Lisa Morelli, talked about the importance of paying staff a living wage. “Looking after our team has always been a priority for us as they really are the heart of our business. Since the beginning back in 2003, we’ve always prioritised our employees and paying them a decent wage is just one of the ways we recognise their importance. We’re proud to have this commitment recognised by the Living Wage Foundation and we’re delighted to become part of the Living Wage Community.”
4Couture is based in South West England, a region where almost one fifth of jobs (18.1%) pay less than the real Living Wage. This means that at least 424,000 working people in the South West don’t get paid enough to live on. In a time when the rising cost of living is putting pressure on many people’s pockets, we need to work together to change this – now more than ever. By signing up to the scheme, 4Couture are joining almost 900 other Living Wage-accredited businesses across the region who share a commitment to delivering a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage is the only pay rate which is calculated according to the costs of living. While the government rate is based on median earnings, the Living Wage Foundation’s rate takes into account the real cost of living in the UK. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers who want to ensure that their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. The UK Living Wage is currently £10.90 per hour. This figure is calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in the UK.
Since 2011, the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to almost 400,000 people and helped put an extra £2 billion into the pockets of low-paid workers.
Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that 4Couture has joined the movement of more than 11,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like 4Couture, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”