Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) is proud to have secured accreditation as being a Real Living Wage Employer.
The Trust’s Real Living Wage commitment will mean everyone working at BDAT receives a minimum hourly wage of £12.60, significantly higher than the government minimum wage for over 21s, which currently stands at £12.21 per hour.
BDAT is a Yorkshire and the Humber based schools Trust supporting 21 schools within the Bradford area. Yorkshire and Humber is a region where 18% of jobs are low paid, with over 410,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, BDAT has committed to pay the real Living Wage and provide a decent standard of living for all their workers.
The Living Wage Foundation’s Real Living Wage remains the only UK wage rate independently calculated based on the cost of living, rising annually based on living costs. It gives employers the confidence they are paying a wage that meets every day needs, not just the government minimum. Over 16,000 accredited employers have secured over £3.85 billion of pay rises for low paid workers since 2011 and made a profound difference to millions of lives around the UK.
Ashley Reed, Chief Financial Officer said “ The Trust has been a real living wage employee since 2022 as we firmly believe that our hard working and dedicated staff must be paid a salary which reflects the cost of living. This accreditation simply recognises our commitment and provides commitment for our staff that it is a promise we have signed up to as we look to the future.
We remain committed to being a real living wage employer, committed to eradicating in-work poverty and committed to being an employer of choice”.
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that BDAT has joined the movement of over 16,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like BDAT, believe that everyone needs to be able to live with dignity and have a decent standard of living.”