Social Print and Copy CIC (SP&C), the Edinburgh-based social enterprise, has become the latest accredited Living Hours employer in Scotland. 

Living Hours accreditation requires employers to pay the real Living Wage to all their employees over the age of 18 and commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period. 

Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.

SP&C, a gold partner at this week’s SCVO-organised The Gathering, the largest free voluntary sector event in the UK being staged at the EICC, is helping lead digital change in Scotland by providing technology solutions through its community well-being programme. 

It is also a trusted training platform and expanded earlier this year with the opening of a new Glasgow hub where it hopes to create up to 30 new jobs by 2025.

The firm, which was shortlisted in the Tech for Good category at the recent Social Enterprise Awards Scotland, has been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2021 and the new recognition underlines the company’s commitment to setting standards for fair work. 

The announcement comes as the country marks the start of Living Wage week and Ian Gray, SP&C chief executive, said: “I’m very pleased to now have Living Hours accreditation as this is something we have been aligned to since the inception of the company four years ago.

We pride ourselves on our values at Social Print & Copy and it’s important for us to deliver not just the minimum wage but the living wage or above for our employees. 

Part of what we wanted to do was deliver fair work, space, skills and remuneration for people as they come through their training so they don’t have to worry about the monetary aspect outwith coming to work.”

Claire Brownlie, SP&C’s finance and office manager said: “Although Social Print & Copy has always provided regular hours that haven’t changed, it is of great security to me as an employee that this cannot be changed from one week to the next. This makes me feel even more a part of the Social Print & Copy family.”

Living Wage Scotland was established in April 2014 by the Poverty Alliance, the national anti-poverty network in Scotland, with the aim of increasing the number of employers in Scotland who are recognised for paying their staff the real Living Wage. 

It is a partnership with the Living Wage Foundation and is funded by the Scottish Government. 

Recent research published by the Living Wage Foundation showed that over 9% of workers in Scotland (approximately 250,000) are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. 

The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.

Christine McCaig, Living Wage Scotland’s Projects Coordinator, said: “There are over 3000 Scottish-based employers that are committed to paying at least the real Living Wage, and it’s fantastic to see Social Print and Copy CIC take further steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work by becoming Living Hours accredited.

The values that led them to commit to the real Living Wage are the same values that have led to their expanded commitment to fair work at a time when workers need it most.”

Accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland span private, public and third sectors, with SMEs making up 75% of the total number of employers. The UK Living Wage is currently £12 per hour, with a separate London Living Wage rate of £13.15 per hour.