BAM Facilities Management, which is part of construction company BAM Construct UK, has become a Living Wage Foundation recognised service provider.
BAM joins 163 companies already classed as recognised service providers, with the recognition meaning it is voluntarily paying its own employees a higher rate than the UK living wage. The rate is set independently by the Living Wage Foundation and is higher than the government’s national minimum wage.
According to BAM, many of its property development and construction clients are already active supporters of the initiative. The company said that it is committed to paying all directly employed colleagues in line with Living Wage Foundation rates and will work with its clients to encourage them to do so too.
BAM will be submitting bids with two choices of cost, one with the living wage and one without, to make sure it can still win new business as a living wage service provider. It will be asking the potential client to agree to the higher wage rate, if they can afford it.
Louise Williamson, BAM Facilities Management’s managing director, explained that the company wants to increase wages for lower-paid colleagues.
She said that when the company takes on a new contract, it must maintain employees’ terms and conditions, meaning it needs to ask clients to agree to spend more so it can then pass that on to employees by paying them the living wage. BAM has started these conversations with clients and hopes for positive responses.
Williamson added: “I am delighted we have this external recognition. People looking in at BAM see a company that has strong embedded people-based values and our people here already tell us that it is a great place to work. That comes through in what our clients are telling us also – and that is the bedrock of a good business.”