Eden is Now a Living Wage Employer

The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that Eden, has today, 1 September 2015, been accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Eden, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25 - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.70. The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK.

Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Eden’s Founder, Gareth Mulholland said: “Our customers and management team live by a set of values including justice and fairness, so rewarding our front-line teams for their dedication and hard work is the right thing to do. Our Living Wage Accreditation differentiates us from all other online booksellers and is a step on track towards becoming an employer of choice in the City of Chester.”

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said: “We are delighted to welcome Eden to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay. We have accredited over 1350 leading employers, including Eden, ranging from independent printers, hairdressers and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that.”