One Movement Two Strands

The Living Wage community strand kicked off in 2011 to build an alliance of civil society organisations, such as faith groups, unions, and community organisations, to stand with low-paid workers and eliminate in-work poverty in Aotearoa.

The community strand seeks to influence decision-makers at large private and public employers to become Living Wage employers, and to call on central government to adopt Living Wage policies for its lowest-paid workers. This feeds into the broader vision of the community strand to ensure public employers lead by example while encouraging private-sector employers to step up and lead by example in their communities. Together, these aims seek to legitimise the Living Wage across the economy and ensure that more and more workers have access to the transformational amount of money that earning a Living Wage can provide for workers and their families across New Zealand.

Critically, the community strand seeks to strengthen civil society organisations by developing their capacity to take action and harness their power to effect change for the lowest-paid workers in their communities.

Since 2014, the Living Wage Employer Programme has recognised businesses and organisations committed to paying the Living Wage and creating fairer workplaces. Accredited Living Wage Employers meet the programme standards, sign an annual licence agreement, and join a growing network of organisations leading the way in ethical employment.

From small businesses and charities to councils, banks, manufacturers, and large corporates, more than 320 organisations across Aotearoa have achieved Living Wage Employer accreditation. Accredited organisations and businesses can use the Living Wage Employer mark, access networking opportunities, and demonstrate their commitment to fair pay and responsible business practice.

Becoming a Living Wage Employer is good for people and good for business. Accredited Living Wage Employers consistently report benefits including improved staff attraction and retention, higher morale and productivity, and a stronger reputation with customers and communities. If you're ready to build a more resilient and values-led workplace, we'd love to talk about how your business or organisation can become accredited.