Why did you choose to accredit as a Living Wage employer?
The decision for Grasshopper Communications to become an accredited Living Wage employer was the vision of the company’s Founder and Director, Clare Jones, who works alongside fellow Directors Jo Hatton-Jones and Georgina Chapman.
This commitment to a living wage, being fair to our Team and acknowledging the contribution they make, is a key part of our core values. These are more than just words, they’re at the heart of everything we do. We know that organisations with a strong culture and a higher purpose perform better in the long run. As we continue to grow, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well. We want our staff to thrive, not struggle in all that they do.
Clare Jones, Founding Director said: We are committed to looking after our team and creating a friendly, flexible, nurturing work environment – as we know that our people underpin everything we do. We are equally committed to being people focused in the work we do, ensuring we are respectful to all, are inclusive in the way we deliver our campaigns, and champion the views of the communities we work within, which includes paying them a fair and equal wage.
Have you noticed a positive response from your employees or any other business benefits?
After Grasshopper Communications was officially accredited with the Living Wage Foundation, we announced the achievement to our staff and then posted a blog on our website during to announce the move externally and explain the rationale behind it. The post generated a lot of positive sentiment for the company on social media.
Living Wage accreditation gives Grasshopper Communications own staff, as well as our contractors, the confidence that we genuinely value the members of our team and it is implementing the rate correctly and is fully committed to doing so in the future.
What would you say to other employers working in the same industry that are thinking about accrediting?
The Living Wage accreditation was a clear and public way of ensuring our staff are treated well and fairly compensated for their time. It forms part of a range of ethical employment practices, including annual salary reviews.
It is decision to invest more in its staff by being a Living Wage Employer is based on delivering on our core values and also a long-term plan to maximise the Grasshopper Communication’s success by getting the most out of talented, skilled and highly motivated people.
Now in its sixth year, despite the challenges presented during the pandemic, Grasshopper Communications has exceeded its anticipated growth targets and more than doubled turnover during the last financial year. Grasshopper Communications has increased its workforce from a team of five to a team of 10 and has been keen to embed its Living Wage status from an early stage, to ensure it is always kept at the company’s core moving forwards.
“The wellbeing of our team is a central tenant of our culture at Grasshopper. “A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work” is a well-known motto which should never be forgotten. It is important that whatever the role of our staff the value they bring is acknowledged and compensated fairly financially. We want our team to thrive in and out of our workplace and we know it is important to pay them a living wage to support their own wellbeing.”
Molly Cheek, Account Executive, Grasshopper Communications
What does it mean to you to earn a Real Living Wage?
As a young person under 25, it can be difficult to find work with reasonable pay to match the ever-rising cost of living. It’s very easy to find yourself restricted to living within a very tight circle to pay the bills. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that my last two employers have been Real Living Wage Employers, which to me, is an affirmation of my worth – my time, my skills, and the work I’ve put in to get those skills. Being paid a Real Living Wage affirms that my needs are important: and that I deserve to expand them outside of that tight circle.
What can you do now on this rate of pay that you couldn’t before?
I can now afford to move out of my parents’ house and have found a flat with my partner. Not only will this give us much-needed independence and space, but we’ll be also closer to amenities, closer to our friends, and closer to our musical community, which we’ve missed so much.
How has it made a difference? How does it make you feel toward your employer?
Earning a Real Living Wage gives me confidence that my contributions to the workplace are valued by my employer, and are therefore reflected in my pay. But this confidence does – and should – go beyond the Real Living Wage, which my employer fortifies with a healthy work culture and wellbeing policies.
Location of head office: Cardiff
Date of accreditation: 16 March 2018