For me, one of the most important responsibilities any employer has is making sure people are paid fairly for the work they do.
At Lendlease, creating places where communities thrive has always been at the heart of what we do. But thriving communities are built by people, and that means the decisions we make as employers and clients have an impact far beyond our own organisation.
That’s why our commitment to the Living Wage is so important.
Of course, paying the real Living Wage is the right thing to do. In a city like London, where the cost of living remains a significant challenge for many people, ensuring workers earn a wage that reflects day-to-day living costs can make a meaningful difference to individuals and families.
But our experience has also shown that it makes good business sense.
When people feel valued and fairly rewarded, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated and committed to their work. Fair pay helps employers attract and retain talented people, supports wellbeing and contributes to a stronger, more stable workforce. These are benefits that every organisation can understand.
What’s always been particularly important to us, however, is recognising that our influence extends beyond our own employees.
As a major developer, we work with a wide range of contractors, suppliers and partners. Collectively, those organisations employ many thousands of people. If we are serious about creating positive social impact, it cannot stop at the boundaries of our direct workforce.
That thinking led us to become an accredited Living Wage Employer and to embed Living Wage requirements throughout our procurement processes. We want the benefits of fair pay to be felt across the wider ecosystems that support our projects, not just within our own business.
We’ve also seen how development projects can help drive wider change. At Elephant Park in Southwark, we worked with the Living Wage Foundation and Southwark Council to establish one of the UK’s first Living Wage Zones, encouraging local businesses and employers to adopt Living Wage principles. The initiative demonstrated how businesses can work together to raise standards and create lasting economic benefits for local communities.
Perhaps the biggest lesson we’ve learned is that positive change happens when organisations lead by example. Businesses often underestimate the influence they have through their supply chains, commercial relationships and partnerships. Every procurement decision, contract award and supplier conversation is an opportunity to help drive higher standards.
Living Wage Week is a chance to celebrate the progress that has been made, but it’s also an opportunity to encourage more organisations to take the next step.
For Lendlease, supporting the Living Wage is about more than accreditation. It’s about helping create an economy that works better for everyone. When more businesses commit to fair pay, workers benefit, communities benefit and businesses benefit too.
That’s a goal worth working towards together.