Living Wage Award Win!
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions have been crowned winner of the Trailblazer Award at the 2023 Living Wage Scotland awards ceremony.
The Living Wage Scotland Awards celebrate organisations and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement. The Trailblazer category is for those organisations who have shown exceptional leadership by promoting the Living Wage in their industry and supply chain.
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions was recognised for going well above and beyond paying our staff the real Living Wage, setting the bar high for employer standards within the tourism sector and providing an outstanding example it is hoped others will follow. Being accredited as a Real Living Wage employer aligns with our aims to deliver exceptional, world-class experiences and supports the organisation in attracting and retaining the high quality staff required to achieve this.
In addition to offering a starting rate in excess of the Real Living Wage, Camera Obscura’s employee package includes a wide range of benefits, such as free entry into other attractions, a free breakfast club, a generous gift voucher at Christmas and performance bonus. All employees also benefit from tailored training and development, and support including an extensive Employee Assistance Programme and NHS-approved wellness app for mental health.
General Manager, Andrew Johnson said “We’re extremely proud to have been awarded the Industry Trailblazer Award from Living Wage Scotland. Being accredited as a Living Wage Employer strongly aligns with our belief in promoting good work practises and being a part of this movement is a positive action which greatly benefits our team. Our staff are our biggest asset, all working to delight our many visitors. Continuing to attract and retain the best, most creative, fun, diligent and committed staff is essential to the continued success of the attraction."
Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Manager, said: “Congratulations to Camera Obscura for winning our Industry Trailblazer Award at the Living Wage Scotland Awards 2023. Our judging panel felt Camera Obscura stood out due to their commitment to the real Living Wage in an industry that has faced a multitude of challenges over the last few years. They were also delighted to hear about the positive impact this commitment has had on their staff who reported having a better work / life balance. We are delighted to have Camera Obscura within our network of more than 3400 accredited Living Wage employers in Scotland who have collectively uplifted more than 64,000 staff to the real Living Wage."
In Scotland, more than 14% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage - around 330,000 jobs. Despite this, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage rate this year has largely been driven by sharply rising fuel and rent costs. The real Living Wage is different to the Government minimum wage for over 23s, called the ‘National Living Wage’ (NLW). While the real Living Wage is independently calculated based on living costs and is paid by employers voluntarily, the government’s NLW is based on a percentage of median earnings, and all employers are required to pay it.
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