Greenzest is a commercial cleaning company that sets out to make a difference by prioritising the welfare of the planet, their people and their partnerships. They are only the fourth cleaning company to progress from being a Recognised Service Provider to a Living Wage Employer. This means Greenzest have gone from offering a real Living Wage bid alongside every market rate submittal to all prospective and current clients, to only submitting bids which include the Living Wage. Here they talk about why paying a real Living Wage is important, particularly in this sector.
Becoming a living wage employer is about more than just paying our people more. It is about our public commitment to doing the right thing and supporting the Living Wage movement with their mission: to provide a route out of poverty for thousands of families.
It is organisations like ours making that commitment that will make the difference. We would also like to throw down the gauntlet to others in our sector to do the same. It is in our collective efforts we will have the maximum impact.
Greenzest Limited are the 4th commercial cleaning company to move from a recognised service provider to a Living Wage Employer. We are so proud of that fact, however we want to be the 4th out of 400 (or even more) companies who have done this.
Business can and must be a force for good, within our own organisation we have four elements that we focus on; Planet, People, Partnership and Productivity (handily they all begin with P). If you don’t deserve your people or pay them at a rate where they stay stuck in a poverty cycle, you cannot bring to bear any of those other elements.
Our team are respected, included, valued and supported by Greenzest. Making sure all our team can expect fair wages is a crucial part of the way that we do things. Through our people we know that we build stronger, better relationships because those that work for us, doing their best work on the ground, are building a better business for a better world.
Our Managing Director, Iain Fraser-Jones, has been in soft services for more than 30 years. He has always focused on building an organisation that has shared, durable prosperity for all.
Greenzest have been working with the Living Wage Foundation since 2019 and are immensely proud to move from being a recognised service provider to a fully accredited Living Wage Employer.
Being a service provider can be challenging, making a commitment to paying the appropriate wages can have a cost impact for clients which can make organisations who deliver those services nervous about making this kind of commitment.
We are fortunate that our clients are forward thinking when it comes to sustainability and progress and recognise some of the hurdles we face when we commit to them.
At the beginning of 2022 we set a goal to become a Living Wage Employer. Now we are proud to announce that 100% of our employees are paid the real Living Wage and all our new customers are quoted at the real Living Wage rates.
WHY PAYING THE REAL LIVING WAGE IN THIS SECTOR IS IMPORTANT
“Given the rapidly increasing cost of living rises (inflation), combined with existing and forecast shortages in the labour market we believe that it is only right that we ensure that our employees are paid fairly. In doing so, we want to differentiate ourselves in our marketplace by ensuring that we continue to work with organisations that share our commitment to our loyal staff.
This will aid our already high levels of staff retention and at the same time allow us to attract new staff as we grow. As a business Greenzest are renowned for “doing the right thing, for the right the reasons” and would like your support in this process.”
- Iain Fraser-Jones, Managing Director.
The real Living wage provides equal opportunity and fair compensation to all employees of all kinds. Equal pay is essential because every member of staff deserves to have a voice and be properly represented and protected. As an organisation we have the responsibility to ensure that all of our employees are valued and provided with tools and resources to feel secure. All employees deserve to be empowered with the ability to better defend their best interests.
"I have been working for Greenzest for 7 years now. I am really happy to be working for Greenzest. The Greenzest management team support and treat their staff well. I feel myself a valued member of the team. I am so delighted to be receiving the real Living Wage. It provides a sense of stability and a big difference in my personal life."
- Jacklyn, Cleaning operative.