Gold standard employer: Local company Cawleys achieve major recognition

The family run business was praised by Investors in People for their fantastic communication, staff recognition systems, positive culture, empowered staff and wellbeing strategies.

As part of the accreditation the waste management specialists were benchmarked against other organisations - achieving an impressive second place against companies in their sector, now sitting in the top three of all Investors in People organisations of their size.

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We would like to congratulate Cawleys on achieving the ‘We Invest in People’ Gold accreditation. It is a fantastic effort for any organisation, and places Cawleys in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

Also celebrating this month their accreditation as a Living Wage employer, Cawleys are part of a movement of businesses, organisations and people voluntarily committing to paying their staff an hourly rate which is higher than the government threshold - addressing the startling statistic that over 13.3% of workers in Northamptonshire earn less than they need to live on.

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundationsaid: “We’re delighted that Cawleys has joined the movement of over 13,000 responsible employers across the UK, including household names such as Burberry, Barclays and Everton Football Club. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage, which is based on the cost of living, is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Cawleys, believe that we all need a wage that meets our everyday needs”

Kirsty Dwan, Human Resources Manager, Cawleys said: “At Cawleys we believe our success begins and ends with our people. Since achieving the Investors in People Silver accreditation three years ago we have further developed our strategies and culture to an exceptionally high standard, earning us the prestigious Gold award.

Employee wellbeing is a key priority for us, demonstrated by our recent Living Wage accreditation. We pay all employees well above the national living wage and we have also recently reduced working hours for all staff, helping improve well-being and work life balance

“We are proud to be recognised for creating a working environment which inspires, motivates and supports our employees.”

To find out more about Cawleys visit www.cawleys.co.uk

To find out more about Living Wage visit www.livingwage.org.uk

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Notes to editor:

Further interviews are available upon request. To arrange, please call Laura Mills, Goldings Communications, or email [email protected], 07974 213455.

About Cawleys

Cawleys is one of the UK’s leading independently owned waste and resource recycling companies. The multiple award winning company ethos is ‘local recycling, global responsibility’ and the company celebrated its 75th anniversary in business in 2022.

From its headquarters in Luton, Cawleys provides waste management services across England for thousands of organisations from the smallest local businesses to the largest corporate estates.

Cawleys has a history of innovation and is leading the way in pioneering technology to transform waste into active resources. One such initiative is the recycling of automotive and industrial lithium batteries; Cawleys has pioneered this service in the UK and has been instrumental in working with leading global automotive manufacturing brands to provide a full-circle sustainable solution for used lithium batteries.

Cawleys was also the first company in the UK to provide a specialist food waste recycling service to anaerobic digestion and has won numerous awards for its recycling best practice. Specialist services include hazardous and liquid waste disposal, WEEE recycling, Vegware composting, coffee cup recycling and confidential shredding.

About Investors in People Most of us will spend around 80,000 hours at work in our lifetimes. For something that takes up that much of our time, we think people deserve to get more out of it than just a regular pay cheque. That's why we've already helped more than 11 million people across 75 countries to make work better.

And you know what, we’re just getting started…

We’re a community interest company, which means we put our purpose before our profits. That means everything we do and every direction we take is done to make work better.

Organisations that meet the We invest in our people framework are proud to display their accreditation to the world. Because they understand that it’s people that make work better.

About the Living Wage

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.

The UK Living Wage is currently £10.90 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £11.95 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.

The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London.

What about the Government’s national living wage?

In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’. It was introduced in April 2016, originally applying for all workers over the age of 25, is currently £10.42 an hour and applies for workers over the age of 23. The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings while the Living Wage Foundation rates are calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK.