Manchester Becomes a Real Living Wage City

Jen Atkins, People Director at Bruntwood, offers her thoughts on yesterday's celebration of the official recognition of Manchester as a real living wage city.

Manchester has officially been recognised as a real living wage city.

As a real living wage employer, we believe that an important aspect of creating a fair and equal society is ensuring people are paid fairly for the work they do. We were therefore pleased to celebrate this milestone for Manchester, which represents progress that will benefit both businesses and communities. I was invited to represent Bruntwood as part of the Manchester Anchors Living Wage Pilot group led by Manchester City Council, and I’m proud to have played a small role in shaping such an important agenda.

At Bruntwood we are proud to pay the Real Living Wage. We know this makes a huge impact on the lives of our colleagues and that it makes colleagues feel more valued for the work they do. 

Feeling more valued allows colleagues to be more engaged, and this in turn leads to lower turnover, better customer service and higher productivity. Paying the real living wage can set companies apart, so as well as being good for colleagues, it’s good for business and for the wider economy. 

We hope that, through the delivery of the Manchester real living wage action plan, we can work in collaboration with other organisations to drive the movement towards paying the real living wage as standard and create a win-win for employers and employees alike.