The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Epigeum, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers; receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.80 -significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.31.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Terry Sweeney, CEO at Epigeum, says: “This accreditation reflects the importance of the team and our commitment to creating courses of the highest possible quality. I’m delighted to support this initiative and reinforce Epigeum’s dedication to creating a rewarding workplace that positively impacts on the service we provide to our customers.”

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said: “We are delighted to welcome Epigeum to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.

“The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited over 700 leading employers, including Epigeum, ranging from independent printers, hairdressers and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that. “