First Sussex NHS organisation to be a ‘Living Wage Employer’

The Living Wage is an hourly wage rate that ensures working people on the lowest incomes achieve an improved standard of living for them and their families.

The rate is currently £7.45 per hour for those working outside London.

This means that all SCT employees whose pay was below £7.45 per hour have received a pay rise to ‘top up’ their pay from 1 June 2013.

The Living Wage will also apply to all new employees who join the trust.

Caroline Fox, director of human resources and organisational development at SCT said: “We recognise and value the work carried out by all our staff and we’re delighted to have achieved accreditation as a Living Wage employer.

“We employ more than 4,000 staff across Brighton and Hove and West Sussex and this accreditation reinforces our commitment to increase the wellbeing of our staff.”

Ngaire Cox, staffside chair representing trade unions at the trust, added: “The implementation of the living wage at SCT recognises the hard work of staff who work in ancillary roles, especially at a time of economic hardship.

“We hope this will support future recruitment and retention of our staff to make us an employer of choice.”

The Living Wage is calculated in line with the basic cost of living in the UK and reviewed annually.