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  Chris Harrop April 25, 2014 at 9:00am

  I forgot to add that research by the Greater London Authority showed that once employees were paid the living wage their productivity went up, with 80% of employers reporting increased work rates ...
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  Phil Voice April 25, 2014 at 9:04am

  London's Poverty Profile
  http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/indicators/topics/low-pay/

  Key points

  • In 2012 just under 600,000 jobs in London were low paid (paid less than the London Living Wage of £8.55 per hour). In 2007 420,000 jobs were low paid (when the London Living Wage was £7.25 per hour).

  • The percentage of jobs paid less than the London Living Wage was around 13% between 2005 and 2010, but by 2012 it reached 17%. This reflects a trend seen across the earnings distribution: the cost of living is growing faster than earnings, so as prices increase more jobs fall below the low pay threshold.

  • In 2012 over 40% of part-time jobs were low paid compared with 10% of full-time jobs. A third of them were done by women working part-time while a quarter were done by men working full-time. Jobs in retail, hotels and restaurants accounted for over 50% of all low paid jobs in London.

  • Around 40% of employees of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin in London were low paid, more than twice the rate for White British employees. Half of working 16 to 24 year olds were paid below the London living wage compared with 16% to 18% for all other age groups.

  • 22% of jobs located in Outer London were low paid, compared with 12% in Inner London. Over 90% of the low-paid jobs in London were done by people who lived in the capital compared with less than 80% of non-low paid jobs.

  • A third of employees living in Newham were paid less than the London living wage. The next highest was Brent at 30%. The lowest was Richmond at 10%.
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  Chris Harrop April 25, 2014 at 9:16am

  Latest figures show that in the UK 5.24 Million people earn less than the living wage ... And they say we have a productivity problem ...
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  Phil Voice April 25, 2014 at 9:19am

  Did anyone watch Digby Jones - The New Troubleshooter - last night?

  He put huge emphasis on employing the right talent and paying them the right wage.

  Digby Jones used the saying 'surround yourself with people who are better than you'.
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  Doug April 25, 2014 at 6:35pm

  Thought the Digby Jones show was really inspiring Phil. Very impressed by some of the people on it. Related to the living wage, I have been wondering about a profit sharing or bonus scheme for my employees - does anyone have any experience of this? I just feel like they should be rewarded when they go the extra mile to get something done... it's all very well me leading by example and pushing pushing pushing, because I know what the reward is for getting that extra bit done, but I don't want the guys who help me to go unrewarded for it themselves.
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  Jim Davidson April 25, 2014 at 9:46pm

  I've always thought the same as you Doug.
  
  In an ideal world I'd love to run my business on the same lines as John Lewis. Just not sure how to do it yet.
  
  Doug said:

  Thought the Digby Jones show was really inspiring Phil. Very impressed by some of the people on it. Related to the living wage, I have been wondering about a profit sharing or bonus scheme for my employees - does anyone have any experience of this? I just feel like they should be rewarded when they go the extra mile to get something done... it's all very well me leading by example and pushing pushing pushing, because I know what the reward is for getting that extra bit done, but I don't want the guys who help me to go unrewarded for it themselves.
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  Paul McNulty April 25, 2014 at 11:06pm

  We have an ad on LJN for a " young, enthusiastic, skilled labourer", £7 per hour.

  Also, someone wanting a very skilled professional, in London, for about £10 per hour:

  "experienced, motivated and reliable landscape gardener to work as a team leader, building gardens to a very high standard. The candidate must have at least five years hard and soft landscaping experience and be able to demonstrate a high standard of workmanship. Both construction and horticultural skills and expertise are vital to this job as you will be carrying out a wide range of work."

  Perhaps we should look to what we are paying our staff, before we join the "living wage" debate?
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  Jason Conway April 26, 2014 at 10:38am

  The trouble I find is large companies looking for skilled staff and all they pay is £6.60 an hour. Most skilled people will have no enthusiasm and that would reflect on the work they do. A profit sharing sceme or even a bonus at the end of the month would push most people into doing a good job and doing it quickly. Im not sure how they work but its still got to be better for employers and employees alike.
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  Gordon Bowerman April 26, 2014 at 11:05am

  £10 an hour for a very skilled professional you have to be joking. No wonder theres a shortage of skilled people coming into the industry. If you pay a decent rate you get a decent job done and have a happier working environment. When working in London I pay a minimum of £15 an hour up to £18 an hour depending on the work.
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  Gary RK April 26, 2014 at 11:28am

  Hi Gordon, is that rate paid to an employed person (ie employee) or a subbie ?
  
  If an employed person, how do handle the differences in pay, if you're working in a less affluent area ? Do they get different rates of pay depending on the job ? Employer costs @ £18 p/h, grossed up is ~£37.5k + employer NI + £overheads£
  
  Fully endorse the need to pay more, but does go hand in hand with the need to educate and have customers accept the need to pay a reasonable rate.
  
  It so frustrates me when our own industry endorses charging cheap rates and undermines the skills needed to run a business and provide a service.
  
  Unfortunately, we (some) are our own worst enemies...
  
  Gordon Bowerman said:

  £10 an hour for a very skilled professional you have to be joking. No wonder theres a shortage of skilled people coming into the industry. If you pay a decent rate you get a decent job done and have a happier working environment. When working in London I pay a minimum of £15 an hour up to £18 an hour depending on the work.