We’re proud to be a Living Wage Employer. It’s a title that goes beyond a badge – it represents a real, measurable commitment to ensuring everyone who works for us earns a wage that meets the cost of living, not just the minimum the law requires. In our view, that’s the very least people deserve.
In line with the Real Living Wage, accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, all TBL employees earn a wage calculated based on what people need to get by – covering rent, food, transport, and essential costs. It’s independently calculated and adjusted annually. For our team, that means greater security, dignity, and the ability to live, not just survive.
Fair pay creates fair opportunity
We don’t just stop at fair hourly pay. TBL also provides enhanced parental leave that is equal regardless of gender. Both mothers and fathers – and all parents, regardless of how they identify – are offered the same entitlements:
- 13 weeks at full pay
- 13 weeks at 66% pay
- 13 weeks at 33% pay
- 13 weeks unpaid
By offering equitable, enhanced parental leave, we’re backing up our Living Wage promise with meaningful, supportive benefits. This approach promotes gender equality in caregiving, supports working parents, and enables families to spend time together without unnecessary financial stress.
This isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s a smart move for business. When employees are supported to live well and manage life’s big transitions (like becoming a parent), they’re more likely to feel valued, stay with an employer for longer, and perform better. Fairness drives engagement. Engagement drives success.
The business case for doing the right thing
Let’s be clear: paying the Living Wage isn’t a cost – it’s an investment. Research shows Living Wage Employers benefit from:
- Higher retention and lower turnover
- Improved morale and productivity
- Stronger recruitment and employer reputation
- Better supplier and customer relationships
We’ve seen this first-hand. A culture of trust and fairness makes a difference, not just to individuals, but to the collective spirit of our team.
And when our people are thriving, our business thrives too.
Linking to ESG and the Global Goals
Our Living Wage and parental leave policies are a critical part of our broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments. Specifically, they contribute directly to the social pillar – where we aim to create a fairer, more inclusive working world.
These commitments also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities. At TBL, we’re acting both within our business and across our ecosystem to ensure that:
- By 2025, all employees will receive diversity and inclusion training
- By 2028, at least 50% of our suppliers will have public targets to improve equality
- By 2028, at least 50% of our customers will also have public targets to improve equality
By embedding equality and fairness into our business practices – from our pay structure to how we work with others – we’re playing our part in reshaping business as a force for good.
Encouraging other employers to step up
We strongly encourage other organisations to follow suit. Becoming a Living Wage Employer is a tangible, practical way to back up values with action. It sends a clear message to employees, stakeholders, and the wider world: we care about people, and we’re willing to prove it.
If you’re an employer thinking about it, here’s our advice: do it. You’ll unlock benefits you didn’t expect – not just financial ones, but cultural, reputational, and emotional. And your team will thank you for it.
TBL is committed to being part of a business movement that uplifts people and drives real, measurable progress towards a fairer world. Paying the real Living Wage, offering equal parental leave, and backing up our ESG goals with action – that’s just the beginning.
