Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) has recently been accredited as a Living Wage Employer. The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at SLS receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50 in the UK, or £10.85 in London. Both rates are significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.72 per hour.

SLS is based in the East Midlands, a region with one of the highest proportions of non-Living Wage jobs in the country (22 %), with over 405,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage. Despite this, SLS has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure that their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011, the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 250,000 people, and put over £1.3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Ian Roulstone, Managing Director of SLS, commented: “We are proud to be making this commitment, because SLS is a business that has people at its core. We aim to be the most customer-centric supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals and consumables in the UK, and we can only achieve that by ensuring we have the best team in place to support our customers. By doing just that, we are increasingly becoming the laboratory supplier of choice for scientists, and this commitment is another step in ensuring that we go above and beyond for our staff, just as they do for our customers.”

Laura Gardiner, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that SLS has joined the movement of over 7,000 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 SLS, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."

For more information, go to www.scientificlabs.co.uk.

About Scientific Laboratory Supplies Ltd

SLS first began trading in 1991 and has grown to become the UK’s largest independent supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals, and consumables. Headquartered in Nottingham, the company operates a warehousing, technical storage, and logistics service across the UK and in several international territories. SLS works closely with leading international industry brands through a market leading catalogue and an extended range of over 500,000 products.

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About the Living Wage

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives. 

The UK Living Wage is currently £9.50 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £10.85 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcareand housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.

The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.

What about the Government’s national living wage?
In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’. It was introduced in April 2016, originally applying for all workers over the age of 25, and, as of April 2021, is currently £8.91 an hour and applies for workers over the age of 23. The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings while the Living Wage Foundation rates are calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK.