Ceri Jennings, Director of Living Wage Employer Sparkles Cleaning, who also bagged themselves a Living Wage Champion Award earlier this year shares why the Living Wage is so essential for their team especially during the cost-of-living-crisis.
The real Living Wage remains our main focus to help with the everyday living costs that everyone faces, Sparkles is currently paying above the real Living Wage for all our employees regardless of their age or their experience, we have regular conversations with our staff to find out what matters to them as they are the heart of the business.
As a business we are proud that we make a profit, this is due to everyone's hard work, dedication and loyalty to Sparkles. We show that everyone's efforts are appreciated, by giving 20% of the profits to the employees, this makes a difference to them and is a massive help at this time as we are all experiencing the cost-of-living crisis.
If members of Sparkles are finding it hard to make ends meet, we also offer subs on their wages and have helped a few members with interest free loans, so that they have less to pay back and there is no added pressure. I know that this has helped, and we will continue to help in any way that we can.
Sparkles, like all the other business around Wales and Great Britain, are feeling the uncertainty, of what's around the corner for us all, but one thing I know is that we will do all we can to survive, it's in our blood. Getting through a recession back in 2008 was hard and giving up was not an option, more recently, getting through Covid, working from home and staying in with my daughter who has Cystic Fibrosis was a battle for survival on two levels; family & business. And now the cost-of-living crisis that affects us all from food shopping to mortgages, gas & electric increases which means our products and equipment also going up, well as all the services that we use. I know that I have the fight in me to adapt the business where-ever possible.
Sparkles will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary next year, and we want to mark the occasion.
We are the proud winners of the Living Wage Employee Choice Award 2022, we currently have 30 members of staff, 6 of them put us forward, it was humbling to have won.
Sparkles have been an accredited company for a few years. We proud to say that we are Living Wage Employers, we always paid above the National rate, feeling that this was the right thing to do, getting the accreditation I feel sends the right message and is appealing to people that want to work for an ethical company.
What Sparkles Employees have to say about being paid above the Real Living Wage;
Louise Moriarty 
“Working for Sparkles gives me a much better chance at independence, saving money and enjoying yourself. “
Paul M 
“Being able to afford extras, other than essentials.”
Bryon Davies:
“It means you can live your life without stressing about money.”
Jonathan Morris:
“Being paid above the Real living wage has helped me get a mortgage on my first house if I were on the National Living Wage I do not think they would have accepted the application. “
Kezia Reed
“I get more time to spend at home with the children, as I do not need to work as many hours, I don't need to worry about money with everything going up.”
Rhian Williams
“A living wage allows employees to earn enough to meet their basic needs and prevents them from falling into poverty.”
Jill
“A living wage allows you to have a better standard of life.”
If you are reading this and are not currently paying the real Living Wage, stop and think of the advantages you could be making, not only for the people you employ and their lives, which let's face it is only ever a good thing to do, but for your business, you will receive more staff loyalty, lower sickness rates, higher staff retention, trusting in your staff to do the right thing for your business should therefore be rewarded, it's hard for everyone to make ends meet, we have seen increases with products and equipment go up from our suppliers, try to do your bit to help!
By becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer, you will also be more likely to get more people applying for the job vacancies that you have open. There are huge staff shortages at the moment, and paying a real Living Wage can help you stand out from the crowd. We encourage you to join the movement, there’s the benefits of paying the Real Living Wage stretch far and wide.