IMG_8799 1

Xplode Magazine Celebrates Living Wage Commitment

2 minute read

The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that Xplode Magazine, has today accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Xplode Magazine, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45 – significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.95 and the new minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour introduced this April.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Megan Humphrey’s, Xplode Magazine’s first paid employee said: “I’m very excited at the fact that Xplode has committed to the Living Wage and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work for such an amazing company!”

Saeed Atcha, CEO said: “It’s so important that we set young people up correctly. We hired our first-ever paid employee recently and there’s scope for many more. A lot of our recruits will be in their first paid job so it’s important to set them up correctly.

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine Chapman said: “We are delighted to welcome Xplode Magazine to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.

“The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay. It’s great to see such a young organisation taking part.

“We have accredited nearly 3,000 leading employers, including Xplode Magazine, ranging from independent printers, bookshops and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the National Living Wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that.”