Living Wage achieved at First Bus
First Bus is now an accredited real Living Wage (RLW) employer (from 1 April 2024).
Its 1,300 staff across the UK have benefited from a pay rise in line with the new commitment, says First Bus. The move brings every employee to at least £12 per hour in pay rates. These colleagues are spread across the UK business in various roles and includes workers employed through third party contractors. 
First Bus says it is the UK’s largest national bus operator to make this commitment, cementing its position as an employer of choice in the sector. This demonstrates the importance of its colleagues to the business; ensuring no colleague ever gets left behind, it says.
The RLW is a voluntary rate of pay commitment. This is over and above the UK Government’s National Living Wage (NLW) standard, which is mandatory for companies to pay to workers aged 21+. With this accreditation, First Bus now ensure everyone in every UK operation is paid at least the real Living Wage.
The RLW is calculated annually and set independently by the Living Wage Foundation. It is based on actual living costs rather than the median earnings calculations used for NLW. It is applicable to workers aged 18+ and is currently £12 per hour.
First Bus is going above and beyond to include its apprentices, by raising their wages to the RLW level over the next eighteen months. This move recognises the value it places on a diverse and inclusive apprenticeship population, as the RLW accreditation does not require employers to do this.
First Bus Managing Director, Janette Bell, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Living Wage Foundation and are thrilled to be become a fully accredited real Living Wage employer. This has an immediate positive impact for 1,300 of our colleagues with a pay rise from today and we are once again demonstrating to our people and the market that we care.
“Engaged employees encourage customers to travel more often. So, by treating our employees well, we are also helping to achieve our mission to get people out of their cars and onto the bus.
“We want First Bus to be a place where our people feel welcome, can be their true selves and succeed. It is vital that we do all we can to support our colleagues, and this is another important step in our transformation journey.”
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that First Bus has joined the movement of over 14,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more.”