AW's Real Living Wage Anniversary

By Paul McKay

It has been two years since Analogue Wonderland was accredited by the Living Wage Movement - so it feels like a good moment to celebrate the anniversary and recap why this matters to us!

What is the Real Living Wage?

"The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by over 11,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs - like the weekly shop, or a surprise trip to the dentist."

So say the Living Wage Foundation, who are responsible for independently calculating the Wage each year. They are a UK-based charity who work out the real cost of daily life for folk, and release updated wage rates every year to allow accredited businesses to stay true to their commitment.

It is consistently higher than the government legal 'Minimum Wage' and we are accountable to the Foundation for prompt implementation of these rates after each update.

Real Living Wage

What's Happened This Year?

Typically we get new rates in November - in time to implement at the start of the following year - and over the past two years they have gone up by around 2-3%.

This year is different.

As I'm sure you're aware, the rate of inflation rose dramatically at the start of 2022 and is showing no sign of slowing.

As a result the Living Wage Foundation told us in September that the 2023 rates would go up by 10.1% and that they wanted us to implement as soon as possible (although the deadline remains in 2023).

So we decided to implement it immediately - effective from 1st October.

We even got a certificate and everything!

Why is this important?

The Living Wage commitment is part of my belief that as a small family organisation Analogue Wonderland should always try and do business 'right'.

That involves our environmental commitments, our approach to partnerships within the community, and also the choices we make with our people.

This year has been tough on everyone, and the winter isn't going to get any easier - so ensuring that an independent organisation is helping us make the 'right' decisions for our staff gives me some confidence that we're doing what we can.

Thank you as always for your support, and Happy Shooting!
- Paul and the AW team