JAQ Group

JAQ Group is a fast-growing e-commerce holding company, founded by Connor Martin, based in Craigstown Industrial, Randalstown. The group consists of several brands, including fragrance and skincare companies such as The Essence Vault, Liquid London, and Thomson Carter, and a third-party logistics company, JAQ Fulfilment.  The Essence Vault was established in 2019 and in 2021 JAQ Fulfilment was launched to support small SMEs, like Connor’s original start-up in his spare room, offering fulfilment opportunities.

Motivation for Living Wage Accreditation

We chose to pursue accreditation because our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to being recognised as a leading employer in Northern Ireland that genuinely supports and invests in its workforce. In light of rising costs, we have reviewed our benefits offering to ensure it continues to provide real value. Becoming a Living Wage employer is a clear and positive step forward, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to fair pay and meaningful support for our employees. 

Implementation Process

When we engaged with the Living Wage Foundation in January 2026, we were already paying all employees the Living Wage, so pursuing accreditation felt like a natural next step. The process was straightforward and completed in a timely manner, aligning well with a benchmarking exercise we were conducting across the business. 

Following this review, we implemented further salary increases in February 2026 to ensure we remained competitive and continued to support our team. We shared the news with all employees via our company platform to recognise this important milestone, and it was very positively received across the organisation. 

Additional Workplace Changes

We shared the news with all employees through our company communication platform to recognise this important milestone. In addition, since July 2025, we have operated a shared incentive scheme whereby, if we achieve our order targets, every employee receives a 10% bonus on top of their net pay. It is a collective goal, when the business performs well, the entire team benefits. 

We also partnered with NICHS to complete the workplace health and wellbeing accredited support programme, Work Well, Live Well. Through this initiative, we trained a group of colleagues to become Wellbeing Champions, who now lead monthly wellbeing initiatives across the business. 

Challenges and Barriers

We engaged in discussions with our third-party suppliers to ensure they were aware of our commitment as a Living Wage employer. While they were very supportive and commended the decision, it was important to work collaboratively with them to plan ahead for any contractual adjustments at the point of renewal. The team at the Living Wage Foundation were on hand throughout to answer questions and provide guidance, and their support was invaluable during the process. 

There was, of course, a financial consideration for the business. However, we understand the true cost of recruiting and onboarding new employees compared to retaining our existing team. The time investment involved in training a new colleague — including management time, HR resource, payroll administration and operational training, far outweighs the cost of investing in the people we already have. For us, it makes both commercial and cultural sense to look after our team. 

Benefits of Living Wage Accreditation

Living Wage accreditation has strengthened our commitment to being a responsible, people-focused organisation. Although we were already paying the Living Wage, formal accreditation reinforced our values both internally and externally. It has positively impacted employee morale and engagement, with colleagues proud to work for an accredited employer. 

The accreditation also enhances our employer brand, supporting recruitment and retention in a competitive market. By investing in fair pay, we reduce turnover and the significant costs associated with recruiting and training new staff. Overall, accreditation supports our people, strengthens our reputation, and makes strong commercial as well as ethical sense for the business. 

"The increase in wages to the living wage has made it easier to adapt to another country, as I have recently relocated from Canada. It has been a beneficial way to integrate from one country to another to independently start a new life in Northern Ireland and live comfortably. It is beneficial to those who are established and to the younger generation who want to build a career, who are just starting off in their working life, as £13.45 is applied to all ages within our company."

– Despatch Operative 

"Living Wage accreditation is incredibly important to our business because it reflects who we are and what we stand for. Our commitment to paying the Living Wage makes complete sense to us, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because we also believe that staff who are valued through receiving the Living Wage are more engaged and productive. 

Accreditation formalises that commitment and demonstrates to our employees that we prioritise fairness, respect and long-term investment in our people. It strengthens our culture, supports retention, and reinforces that we are serious about creating a workplace where people are respected, supported and able to thrive."

-  Head of HR