NHS Grampian has been recognised for its leading role in encouraging local employers to offer fair pay and supporting a plan to make Aberdeen a Real Living Wage City.
Colleagues from the health board’s Public Health team picked up the Outstanding Leadership accolade at the Real Living Wage Scotland Awards last week. Members of the judging panel were impressed to see the number of avenues NHS Grampian is using to encourage other employers to adopt the real Living Wage.
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Advanced public health practitioner, Julie Phillips explains: “This is one of the most significant ways we can make a difference to families across Grampian. Making sure people are paid reasonable wages and have reasonable conditions has a knock-on impact on their health and on the health of their wider family.
“Supporting the Real Living Wage – not just for our own employees within NHS Grampian but with contractors, for our apprentices and in terms of our role as an anchor organisation and as Grampian’s largest employer – is an important part of the work of our health improvement team. We are very proud and pleased to have been recognised with this award.”
The health improvement team is part of the Real Living Wage City Action Group, involving representatives across all industry sectors and promoting Real Living Wage accreditation to employers across Aberdeen.
NHS Grampian achieved Real Living Wage accreditation in August 2022. While pay in the NHS in Scotland is set nationally and was already above the living wage, the health board made a commitment to work with contractors, many of whom were willing to achieve accreditation too.
Director of Public Health, Susan Webb adds: “Our local partners see the business benefits of delivering better financial security for their employees and improving their wellbeing. This has a positive impact on recruitment and retention, increases local spending, supports economic recovery and is coupled with our commitment as an organisation to buying goods and services locally as much as we can.
“In public health we’re lucky to work with many local organisations and we absolutely want to be a positive voice in that conversation.”
