In November 2017, the Living Wage Foundation with NCVO and People's Health Trust, launched the Low Pay in the Charity Sector Report, which explored the nature and demographics of low pay in the charity sector. It showed that:
- 26% of charity workers earn less than the real Living Wage, compared to 21% of the overall workforce
- Proportionally, nearly a third of women (30.4%) in the charity sector earn less than the real Living Wage compared to just a fifth (21%) of men
- People from BAMER backgrounds are particularly affected by low pay, with very high numbers of 'Other Asian Background' (62%) and Black/African/Caribbean/Black British (30%) respondents, reporting that they earn below the Living Wage.
Following this report, the Living Wage Foundation hopes to engage the entire charity sector to collectively address these issues and disparities to reduce financial barriers into the sector, to make the sector more appealing and competitive, and to increase diversity and attract the best employees.
The Living Wage Foundation has developed a survey to understand perspectives about low pay in the charity sector. This comprises of six core questions, asking for perspectives on the barriers to implementing the Living Wage, and what can be done to support charities to overcome them.
The survey is now open, and will close on Monday 29th January. Feedback will feed into an Action Plan for challenging low pay in the sector which will be published in spring 2018.
Click here to complete the survey.