Bristol Airport has become a living wage employer after receiving real living wage accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation.
As part of the airport and its business partners’ commitment, all employees aged 23 and above will now be paid £10.90 per hour, which is higher than the government’s current £9.50 an hour national minimum wage.
The real living wage is the only UK wage rate based on the actual cost of living and accreditation is awarded to employers who pay their staff this as a minimum by the Living Wage Foundation. Annual rates are calculated by the Resolution Foundation based on a basket of everyday goods and overseen by the Living Wage Commission.
Debbie Hartshorn, people director at Bristol Airport, said: “Bristol Airport is central to the economy of the South West – currently supporting almost 4,000 direct jobs, and around 23,000 jobs across the wider region – and as we expand capacity from 10 million passengers per annum to 12 million passengers per annum we are projected to add a further 5,800 jobs.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that these roles are attractive to candidates and are fairly rewarded, and are delighted to have attained real living wage accreditation ahead of the deadline we set for ourselves.”
Bristol Airport offers its employees a range of rewards and benefits such as enhanced parental care policies, income protection insurance, a group life assurance policy, flexible working options, a free digital GP service, an employee assistance programme, enhanced pay for family leave, a supportive fertility treatment policy and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, rising incrementally after two years of service to a maximum of 29 days.
Its schemes include employer-funded private medical health insurance, which includes subsidised dental care, bonus, occupational sick pay, and a group pension scheme with matched contributions.