On 7th May 1881 the Labour Standard, the paper of the London Trades Council (a forerunner of the Trades Union Congress), portrayed this headline on the front page:
A fair day's work for a fair day's pay
Although the headline might have been revolutionary to some, Frederick Engels criticised it for being too weak. What was required was the abolition of the wage class, who should take control of the means of production. We have come a long way since then but 'in employment poverty' is still a feature of life today. The concept of the minimum wage was at first controversial, but it has now been accepted as a norm. However, it has still not cured the problem.
Jackson Lees became an accredited Living Wage Employer in 2015, joining other businesses in the UK who believe their staff deserve a fair day's pay for a fair day's work!
The living wage is a theoretical wage level that allows the earner to afford adequate shelter, food and other necessities of life. Its goal is to allow employees to earn enough income for a satisfactory standard of living. The current number of Living Wage Employers now exceeds 5000, although the legal sector is still not a sparkling sector. I believe we are one of only four in the North West.
The leadership of my practice felt that we needed to show the way to other law firms who have been slow in taking up this initiative - walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
The result has been an increase in pay, particularly for those entering the firm at the junior end, but frankly this was a small price to pay for the sake of showing that we believe in wage justice.
However, the living wage is just part of the answer. If those starting at the junior end of the firm do not progress in their roles and remain on lower wages for a long period, we have failed. We believe in developing and training our workforce so that junior staff members can receive encouragement to progress within the practice to attain senior and important roles in the business. We now have clear career progression paths for our employees and have established a Training Academy to identify training needs, ensuring that training is delivered effectively. We are working to achieve a skilled and empowered workforce, fit for a modern day legal practice. Being a Living Wage Employer is part of that strategy.
Undertaking legal work is part of the service sector, which stands or falls on the standard of service provided. That service is delivered by our 275+ staff members and everyone has a part to play in looking after our clients. 98% of our clients are happy with our services and would recommend us to a friend. That is the ultimate testimony to what we are trying to achieve.
The purchase of legal services can be stressful and often, it is a distress purchase our clients would rather not make. This means it is even more important to make sure that we look after our clients, but we can only do that with content and motivated staff who all share our vision for a just and fair society.
Justice needs to start at home and we have never regretted for one instant, our decision to become a Living Wage Employer.