This week started with a Living Hours Leadership Board meeting where we reviewed the Living Wage Foundation’s new rebrand. It looks brilliant—but as someone with OCD, I’ll now need to replace all the plaques in the office immediately (yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds, but symmetry matters!).

Beyond the aesthetics, we had meaningful conversations about the Employment Rights Bill and how it could impact the work of the Living Wage Foundation. We also talked about ways to encourage more businesses to commit to the Living Hours and Real Living Wage standards.

It’s a strange one, really—because we know so many companies out there do treat their teams well. Their values align with ours. But accreditation matters. It’s about standing up and saying, “We’re proud of how we treat our people—and we’re willing to prove it.” That’s why it was great to hear that our client at Form is currently going through the accreditation process. They’ll soon join us on this journey.

As it was the end of April, all our staff received a pay increase—at the very least in line with our Real Living Wage accreditation. We don’t do this for applause; we do it because it’s the right thing. Still, it’s a good moment to reflect on how far we’ve come.

Last week was also a standout for another reason: three different organisations reached out, asking if we’d bid on their tenders. That might sound like a small thing, but if you rewind to 2021 when I joined Adept, I’d never heard of the company—and I’d been in the industry for 19 years. Neither had my Manchester-based colleagues, some with 25+ years of experience.

Fast forward to today, and the brand is thriving. People know who we are. They know what we do. And in some cases, they even try to imitate us—which, in a strange way, is the ultimate compliment.

We’re proud of the journey, and prouder still of the people making it happen every day.