In 2017, Downtown Van joined the short list of non-profits that became a certified Living Wage employer, and we’re proud to announce that we have been re-certified for 2023.
Becoming a Living Wage employer is not the same as paying minimum wage, but it is paying employees a wage that they need to earn to cover the actual cost of living in Downtown Vancouver and other communities.
Recently, Living Wage for Families BC (LWFBC) increased the living wage in Metro Vancouver to $24.08, an increase of 17% from 2021. This significant increase has seen many other organizations that have long been certified living wage employers unable to meet the requirements.
Downtown Van supports the Living Wage movement for many reasons; it promotes social inclusion, enables employees to have sufficient income to cover reasonable costs, and, most importantly, ensures that employees are not under severe financial stress.
“In today’s society, the issue of income inequity has become increasingly prevalent; therefore, becoming a certified Living Wage employer is a way that Downtown Van can demonstrate our commitment to fairness, social responsibility, and ethical business practices,” says Jane Talbot, Interim President and CEO of Downtown Van. “We want to ensure that the team at Downtown Van can continue to reside and play within Downtown Vancouver, and paying our employees a living wage is one way of supporting this.”
Downtown Van’s Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), which develops and approves organizational policies such as this one, received unanimous Board approval in 2017 for Downtown Van to become a certified Living Wage employer. Since then, the Board has supported Downtown Van’s recertification year after year.
To learn more about the Living Wage program, visit https://www.livingwageforfamilies.ca/.
In recent years, the issue of affordability has become increasingly prevalent. Becoming a Living Wage Employer is a way that Downtown Van can demonstrate our commitment to fairness, social responsibility, and just compensation,” says Jane Talbot, Interim President and CEO of Downtown Van. “To the extent possible, we want to ensure our team can enjoy living in Metro Vancouver, and paying our employees a living wage is one way of supporting this.”
