Lush workers get pay rise as company becomes Living Wage employer

Lush is to give 1,000 workers at its Poole factory a pay rise worth up to £2,184 after announcing it will become a Living Wage employer.

The move which applies to 3,555 staff across the UK comes as the global cosmetics brand reveals a 76 per cent rise in profits.

It is also doubling parental leave and paying for 20 hours a week of childcare for established staff returning to full-time work.

Permanent staff who are currently paid £7.40 an hour, which is 20p an hour above the government’s National Living Wage will see their pay rise to the £8.45 recommended by the Living Wage Foundation. The move will cost the company more than £7million a year and will apply to 1,077 workers in the Poole factory.

As well as the Living Wage commitment, Lush announced:

• Maternity leave will rise from three months to six months at full pay, while paternity leave will rise from two weeks to four.
• The company will provide 20 hours of childcare for primary care-givers returning to full time work, until the child is three. The benefit applies to staff who have been with the company for two years or more and is potentially worth £6,182 before tax.
• They are setting up an Employee Benefit Trust to bring an element of employee ownership to the business. The trust will initially own 10 per cent of newly issued shares.

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