Croda, Yorkshire's FTSE 100 Speciality Chemical Manufacturer becomes 4,000th Living Wage Employer
The Living Wage Foundation celebrates hitting the 4,000 milestone with the accreditation of another FTSE 100 company - taking the total to 35 as they join the movement of responsible businesses
The Living Wage Foundation celebrates its 4,000th Living Wage Employer: Croda, who create, make and sell speciality chemicals that are relied on by industries and consumers everywhere. The global company has four manufacturing sites within the UK, two of which are in Yorkshire, alongside their global head office.
Croda makes the official commitment to pay the real Living Wage, an hourly wage of at least £8.75 outside of London, to all employees working at Croda in the UK, including third-party contract staff. This is significantly higher than the government minimum wage of £7.50 for 25-year olds and £7.05 for those under 25.
The number of Living Wage Employers has doubled since 2016, the year the Government's National Living Wage was introduced. In 2017 alone, 1,200 employers became Living Wage accredited, a 20% increase on the previous year. Since the Living Wage campaign began, over 150,000 people have experienced a pay rise totalling £613m.
Steve Foots, Chief Executive, Croda, said:
"Our people underpin everything we do and the culture they embody is at the centre of our success. We want to pay a fair and reasonable wage across all of our operations. It is part of being a socially responsible and ethical business. This is an important aspect of our investment in people, which includes training and development, share saving schemes and pension benefits, to name a few. It was an easy decision for us to commit to the UK Living Wage and become accredited by the Living Wage Foundation."
Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:
"We're delighted to welcome Croda as the 4,000th member of the movement of employers, organisations and individuals that campaign for a real Living Wage based on what people need to make ends meet. By taking a stand to ensure their employees earn a wage they can live on, Croda is helping to set the bar for others within the manufacturing industry. We now want to see others follow suit and commit to pay a fair day's pay for a hard day's work."