Salutem Care and Education is pledging in excess of £1 million to support our employees through the cost of living crisis.
The funds are being used to provide a new non-contractual allowance of an additional £75 a month, which is targeted at supporting those earning less than £25,000 per annum.
This added support by Salutem has been introduced in line with the increase in the prices of fuel, energy, and food, which are currently placing a financial strain on workers across the country.
This additional £1m of support is part of a progressive package of pay and benefits that includes competency based pay enhancements, minimum pay levels above the National Living Wage, a cash management app and a range of meaningful purchasing discounts.
With more than 130 services across the UK, Salutem Care and Education has put measures in place to support over 1,800 employees, who may be facing financial challenges during this period.
Kirstie Jones, Group People Director at Salutem said: “We are determined to support our employees and have spent a lot of time considering how we can provide more assistance in the most meaningful way. Inflation has changed dramatically since we last provided pay increases in April so we felt that we had to move quickly to help.
“The cost of living crisis weighs heavy on everyone’s minds, and we consulted with staff, took on board feedback, and feel that we’ve come up with a solution that will make things easier through the winter.
“At Salutem, we value the wellbeing of all our colleagues, which is why we are pleased that our support package will see our employees paid an additional £450 over the next six months to help with increased financial pressures.”
Paul Cruddas, one of Salutem’s therapeutic support workers, said: “The additional cost of living allowance from Salutem is warmly welcomed. We’re all feeling the squeeze and the £75 is a great help. I know it hasn’t come from the ‘magic money tree’ and it will cost the company a lot of money if it runs until March 2023 as expected. I know a lot of people who are getting no extra help from their employer, so I’m very grateful for this intervention.”