We are delighted to announce that energy film SSE plc has become the largest accredited Living Wage Employer to date.
The change will guarantee the Living Wage for nearly 20,000 members of staff across the UK. SSE is a FTSE 30 company and is the only major energy company to become Living Wage accredited.
We are delighted that SSE has joined the growing network of Living Wage Employers, and welcome their leadership of the energy sector.
There are now almost 400 accredited employers, spanning the UK and representing a host of different industries. We are proud of each and every Living Wage Employer, from local colleges and shops through to KPMG, The National Portrait Gallery and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. A full list of accredited organisations is available here.
SSE will be celebrating their accreditation during Living Wage Week, which will be held on 3rd-9th November.
Managing Director of SSE, Jim McPhillimy, said:
"I am very proud that SSE is now the biggest British company to be officially accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation, it sends the message that we are serious about our people and committed to being a responsible employer.
But this is not just about the 20,000 people directly employed by SSE. The nature of the industry we're in means that we spend huge amounts of money on our supply chain - over £2bn a year in fact - and that supply chain employs thousands more people.
From next April every new contract awarded by SSE will contain a clause which ensures that those people also receive The Living Wage. That is a very significant move by us because it mean we're not stopping at our own employees - we want everyone who works for SSE, directly and indirectly, to benefit."
A full blog on the impact of the accreditation is available here.