Putting the Living Wage to Work – Strategies and Practices in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

This website documents the ‘Living Wage in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)’ project, funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust and conducted by Dr Andrea Werner (Middlesex University) and Dr Ming Lim (University of Liverpool).

This research has been the first of its kind that has taken an in-depth look at the adoption of the voluntary Living Wage among SMEs.

Drawing on survey research and in-depth interviews with Living Wage accredited SMEs across the whole of the UK, the research mapped SMEs’  motivations for adopting the voluntary Living Wage, as well as the benefits and challenges of implementing the Living Wage in their organisations.

The findings of the research can be found in this report. The report includes recommendations for SMEs and other stakeholders as to how Living Wage accreditation can be encouraged and sustained. It also has four in-depth case studies on how SMEs make the Living Wage work in their organisations.