Axminster Tools & Machinery has been shortlisted by the Living Wage Foundation for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018.

The awards recognise Living Wage employers that have made great contributions to communities and industries by implementing the Living Wage.


Stiff competition

The company is in the category ‘Living Wage Innovation Award’ for larger organisations. As a result, we will be up against some big players including Aviva, CIPD, Midlothian Council and Anglia Ruskin University.

Axminster’s HR Director Jane Boulton commented:

To be shortlisted for the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018 in competition with such well-known industry names is a real honour. Axminster Tools & Machinery is a family business which believes that paying the Living Wage is good for business, good for staff and good for the society in which we live. We recognised that staff skill sets should be valued regardless of where we are located. We continually support the Living Wage by ensuring that we complement employee wages with initiatives to eradicate in-house poverty. This has led to increased employee engagement, with employees being passionate about our customers and the products we sell. All of which helps to ensure that the Company remains the unique business it is today.

Jane Boulton (HR Director)

Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “I would like to offer huge congratulations to Axminster Tools & Machinery on being shortlisted for the Living Wage Champion Awards. By committing to responsible pay, employers like Axminster Tools have changed the lives of thousands of people across the UK, lifting workers out of poverty and transforming communities. We look forward to celebrating again in June when we announce the winners.”


Voluntary basis

The Living Wage is an hourly pay rate set independently, updated annually and calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK.

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.  Almost 4,000 accredited employers have now committed to paying the Living Wage.

The UK Living Wage is currently £8.75 per hour. The London Living Wage is currently £10.20 per hour, covering all boroughs in Greater London. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.

The Living Wage Foundation recognises and celebrates the leadership shown by Living Wage employers across the UK. An independent panel of business and community leaders will judge the awards. The winners will be announced in June.