Hallmark Care Homes has invested £1.3 million into a winter support package to help its employees with the cost-of-living crisis.
The measures include paying all of its 2,300 members of staff at or above the new rate set by the Living Wage Foundation from today (1 December), ahead of the implementation deadline of 14 May 2023.
Living wage salaries have been raised to £10.90 per hour across the UK and £11.95 for those based in London, ensuring that a full-time worker on the UK rate receives more than £3,200 extra annually, compared with the national minimum wage rate. For a London-based full-time worker, this figure rises to more than £5,600.
Hallmark employees earning less than £30,000 per annum have also been given a 5% pay rise five months ahead of schedule. The business also introduced a £250,000 support fund, available to the whole workforce, which includes Westfield Health benefits, a Blue Light Discount Card and Hallmark Rewards for help with rising costs.
Aneurin Brown, managing director of Hallmark Care Homes, said: “We have a dedicated workforce who all do an amazing job caring for our residents. It’s only right that we are there for them too. We hope these pay increases will ease the pressure for those currently struggling with the costs of living and that our support fund will encourage more people to ask for help.”
Elizabeth Fairchild, people and performance director at Hallmark Care Homes, added: “We wholeheartedly appreciate there will be bumps in the road and unforeseen costs for many of our team this winter, and we are committed to supporting them.
“In addition to paying the real living wage and launching a £250,000 support fund, we have provided our teams with cost saving resources such as Westfield Health, Hallmark Rewards and we are funding our team’s Blue Light Discount Card to help with Christmas shopping.”