The Christchurch Methodist Mission has achieved accreditation as a Living Wage Employer, a milestone that promises the most significant benefits to the workers at WesleyCare rest home and hospital in Papanui.

To be an accredited Living Wage Employer, the minimum wages for direct employees, contract employees andcontractors must be at least $26.00/hour.

Christchurch Methodist Mission Executive Director Jill Hawkey, said the organisation believes that workers should live with dignity and participate as active citizens in society. “By adopting the Living Wage rate, we are realising this vision and ensuring that work can be a pathway out of poverty for employees and that they are treated with care and respect.”

One of the South Island’s leading social service organisations, CMM works across the age spectrum and employs 288 staff in Christchurch, Blenheim, Nelson and West Coast. WesleyCare rest home and hospital in Papanui is CMM’s largest division, with around 150 healthcare and household staff.

“I’m proud that CMM has become a Living Wage employer. Over the past few years our leadership and governance teams have worked hard to ensure that all of CMM’s employees and service providers are adequately compensated for their work, and that they work in a safe and rewarding environment.”

While staff across the organisation are now benefiting from the Living Wage rate, Jill said that it is at WesleyCare where this change will have the biggest impact.

“In New Zealand’s aged care sector, healthcare assistants and household staff provide vital services but generally do not receive the financial recognition they deserve. For them particularly, the higher wage rate means a lot.

“This accreditation is recognition that we are investing in our workers, which is good not only for them but also for their families and the broader economy. Supporting them in this way is a significant step in achieving our vision of a just and inclusive society in which all people flourish.”