So you may have heard - as of April the National Minimum Wage (the statutory minimum hourly rate any employer is obligated to pay) is on the rise. A rise in The Living Wage (the recommended minimum hourly rate an employer is recommended to pay) is only a matter of time.
FYI the National Living Wage (Government minimum for over 25a) will rise from £7.50 to £7.83.
The Living Wage is £8.75 and is destined to rise.
Put simply… wages are on the up. Like everything seems to be on the up these days, energy, fuel… you name it.
Whether you pay either the Minimum or Living Wage (and many of our clients choose to pay the Living Wage) hourly costs will increase.
Before I go any further though a very brief explanation behind the business reasons that so many of our clients opt to pay the higher Living Wage:
- Better quality staff
- A larger pool of staff attracted by the improved hourly rate means a better standard of staff can be employed - Better performing staff
- According to Livingwage.org 80% of employers believe that the Living Wage has improved the quality of the work - Lower absenteeism
- A typical 25% reduction in absent staff - A better, more ethical public profile for you
- According to Livingwage.org 70% of employers felt that the Living Wage had increased awareness of their commitment to being an ethical employer - A longer term, more committed staff
- Contractors’ turnover down from 4% to 1%The question that this new rise brings into sharp focus is
Make sense? Spending a little to get a lot - the sweet spot where cost and quality meet.
Yes? Good. Let’s continue.
Office Cleaning Opportunity
Whether you pay National Minimum or Living wages of course it’s only natural that you will want to take a much closer look at whether you’re getting maximum value from your cleaning provider. And in a strange way, what at face value looks like a right pain in the wallet - a cost increase, can (with the right cleaning provider) work to your advantage as you demand important answers to important questions.
For example, is your cleaning company really doing a good enough job? Hand on heart could they do better? Or could they do the same job in less time? Maybe they could do what they do, but do it better.
In other words… can your current cleaning company justify the increases?
And it’s a perfectly reasonable question that in fairness should be asked on an ongoing basis.
Setup to Succeed
Unfortunately not all cleaning contractors have the experience, the know-how or the systems in place to support both staff and clients through the National Minimum/National Living Wage increases. They simply aren’t set up to handle the statutory rises properly.
Maybe they lack the processes or experience to know exactly what it takes to get the job done with the maximum of efficiency and the minimum of fuss. Perhaps they’re stopped caring (it happens) or have become too comfortable with your contract. They might simply lack the ability to see the angles, the savings, the efficiencies, the new techniques, and the new technologies that can sustain or even increase the bang for your cleaning buck.
Your existing cleaning company. Are they rate rise ready? Ready to take this opportunity to maintain or even layer on the value?
Many aren’t.
Few are.
Rock Solid Systems
At ServiceMaster, our systems and processes are rock solid. Our lines of communication are crystal clear. Our technology is state of the art. Our teams are experienced and proven.
Where other commercial cleaning companies start to fall apart at the seams, to let costs or quality undermine value once the pressure is on … we excel.
And who wouldn’t want a cleaning partner that didn’t?
Commercial Cleaning Services At ServiceMaster Manchester
Are you looking to save money, improve efficiency, rationalise and receive a better cleaning service? Are you looking for better value? A higher quality, more motivated team? Then maybe we can help you turn the upcoming wage rises to your advantage.
Find out more about the office cleaning services we provide.We can talk you through all the legal issues, TUPE transfers and explain exactly how we can package a new, premium cleaning program for your business. Make an enquiry today to receive a free no-obligation quote
