Queen’s University Belfast Commitment to Fair Wages

Overview

Founded in 1845, Queen’s University Belfast is a prestigious member of the Russell Group, internationally recognised for its excellence in education, research, and innovation across a wide range of disciplines. Ranked among the top 200 universities globally for impact and sustainability, we are committed to driving meaningful change and making a positive difference in communities locally, regionally, and worldwide. At Queen’s, we blend academic excellence with a student-centred ethos, all while upholding a strong commitment to our civic and social responsibilities.

Motivation for Living Wage Accreditation

In 2022, we were already paying our directly employed staff the real Living Wage, recognising its importance for supporting our workforce. To further demonstrate our commitment to fair pay, we sought accreditation to extend this standard to our third-party contractors, ensuring all contributors to Queen’s receive a wage that meets the real cost of living.

As one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, we understand the positive impact fair pay can have on improving living standards, tackling in-work poverty, and setting an example for other organisations. Becoming a Living Wage Employer not only ensures fairness for all those working with us but also demonstrates our leadership in ethical employment practices. For us, this is more than a financial commitment, it is a statement of the value we place on our staff and the wider community we serve.

Implementation Process

The implementation of the Living Wage followed a structured, collaborative approach led by our People & Culture team in partnership with Finance, Legal, Procurement, and Senior Leadership. The implementation took approximately nine months from initial review to formal accreditation.

Additional Workplace Changes

Alongside accrediting as a Living Wage Employer, we implemented several initiatives to enhance our workplace culture and employee experience as part of our 2023–2026 People and Culture Plan which focuses on three key strategic pillars: Culture, Employee Experience, and Building Organisational Capability.

Building on our Living Wage accreditation, we strengthened our commitment to equality and inclusion by becoming the first university on the island of Ireland - and only the second in the UK - to achieve the prestigious Athena Swan Gold Award in early 2024. To further support this progress, we launched our Equality Scheme and Action Plan 2024 –2029, which outlines our vision for fostering a workplace that truly reflects and celebrates the values and diversity of our staff and students.

Challenges and Barriers

One of the main challenges we faced was the complexity of aligning third-party contractor agreements with Living Wage standards. Many of our service contracts were long-term agreements that did not initially include Living Wage provisions. Renegotiating these contracts required careful coordination between our Procurement, Legal, and Finance teams, as well as open dialogue with suppliers.

We overcame this by adopting a collaborative and phased approach, with guidance and support from the Living Wage Foundation. To make the transition more manageable for suppliers, we introduced milestones and regular check-ins, allowing incremental adjustments to contract costs over time. This step-by-step process eased the financial burden on suppliers while ensuring compliance with Living Wage standards.

Anticipated Benefits

Accrediting as a Living Wage Employer strengthens trust and loyalty among our workforce, improving morale, productivity, and engagement. This enhances our position as an employer of choice, helping attract and retain top talent. It also reinforces our reputation as a socially responsible institution and sets an example for others, contributing to a fairer local economy.

“Queen’s is a university that is committed to its social purpose and to delivering for and positively impacting the communities that it serves. This includes leading the way - as part of our civic university agenda – by ensuring that we treat all our employees, and particularly the lowest paid, with dignity by paying them more than the National Minimum Wage, but rather a living wage as a baseline requirement.  Our people are at the heart of all that we do, and we recognise that that earning a wage that supports household and family needs is vital for employee motivation and retention.

“We are proud to achieve Living Wage accreditation and hope that it will inspire other organisations to follow suit – especially in the context of the current Cost of Living Crisis.”

- Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s