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Yesterday, Citizens UK published their annual ranking of Premier League clubs based on their lowest paid staff, highlighting the fact that while a few clubs have made real strides in ensuring that all club employees are able to earn a living wage, many are falling short—including Liverpool FC.
Today, the club have responded, committing to ensuring all employees earn at least a living wage by the start of the next financial year. This is unequivocally heartening news, and news the club claims has been in the works for some time following discussions with Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram and The Living Wage foundation.
Previously, Liverpool had committed to all direct, full time employees of the club earning a living wage, but they will now be extending that commitment to casual and part-time workers which should see the club move up alongside the likes of Everton, Huddersfield, West Ham, and Chelsea in next season’s Citizens UK rankings.
“We hope that this development demonstrates how highly we value all of those who work for Liverpool Football Club in whatever capacity that may be,” began a statement from CEO Peter Moore released via the club’s official website earlier today.
“As a club, we have paid the national minimum wage at the higher rate only for many years and in June this year we ensured that all directly employed staff were paid at least the real living wage. By taking the next step, we are not adhering to an obligation, we are doing it because we feel it is the right thing to do.”
Currently, the UK government considers £7.50 to be the national living wage, but based on local cost of living indexes, Liverpool will ensure that from June, 2018 onward all club employees make at least £8.45 an hour—the same figure Everton use as their minimum wage for all club employees.
For their part, Premier League newcomers Huddersfield Town have set a minimum of £8.50 while London clubs Chelsea and West Ham have a minimum of £9.75. Together, those four sides lead the way when it comes to compensating employees with a living wage, and starting next year Liverpool will join them.