The awards recognise Living Wage employers that have made great contributions to communities and industries by implementing and celebrating the Living Wage.
The Living Wage Foundation offers a recognition mark for employers that commit to paying the Living Wage. There are now over 900 accredited employers.

London Legacy Development Corporation's (LLDC) contribution to the Living Wage programme is a core component of the organisation's commitment to redress the imbalances of living standards in east London. According to recent studies, if you are an east Londoner you will earn up to 28% less than the average Londoner. LLDC seeks to redress this by delivering convergence - the principle that within 20 years the communities of east London will enjoy the same life chances as the rest of London.

In line with the Mayor of London’s publication 'A Fairer London: The London Living Wage', and to increase median earnings for east Londoners, LLDC has made a commitment that all its direct employees, including interns, and apprentices are paid the London Living Wage (LLW). In addition:

• LLDC ensures it a contractual requirement of its Tier 1 construction and end-use contractors to pay the LLW to their directly employed staff;
• Where LLDC does not have a direct contractual relationship with a Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park employer, such as our Tier 1 contractors’ own supply chains, and where it has a lease arrangement, LLDC encourages the payment of LLW to workers on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Living Wage

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. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

The Award Winners will be announced during Living Wage Week 2014, with one winner announced for each region of the UK: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland; the East Midlands; the West Midlands; the East of England; Yorkshire and the Humber; North East England; North West England; South East England; South West England; and London.