The company employees over 34,000 people in the UK & Ireland and in the last year more of Sodexo’s new and renewed contracts, such as the Scottish Government, and University College London, have been negotiated to include the Living Wage for all employees.
The Recognition Award for Service Providers was created by the Living Wage Foundation in order to help service providers make a fair pay commitment. Given the nature of their business, it is not always possible for service providers to implement the Living Wage for all the contracts they deliver.
Living Wage Recognition helps service providers demonstrate a commitment to the Living Wage, by paying it to head office staff and working with clients and customers to raise awareness.
Neil Murray, managing director, corporate services, Sodexo UK&I said: “We are delighted to be part of the Service Providers Leadership Group. FM and services companies have an important role to play in the promoting the Living Wage movement. We are committed to working with our clients and with the wider industry to promote fair pay and tackle in-work poverty.”
Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “The benefits the Living Wage brings to staff and business are clear. I welcome the leadership shown by Sodexo on this important issue. Our service providers are not just responding to the Living Wage, they are leading with it.”
The Living Wage is an hourly rate calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, set independently and updated annually. The current UK Living Wage is £7.85 an hour and the current London Living Wage is £9.15 an hour.