Living Wage Supplier Programme – FAQs

What is living wage?

• What is a Living Wage?

  The International Labour Organisation defines a living wage as the wage level that is necessary to afford a decent standard of living for workers and their families, taking into account the country circumstances and calculated for the work performed during the normal hours of work^[a].​ According to the Global Living Wage Coalition, this includes adequate food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, clothing and other essential needs, such as provisions for unexpected events.

  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes social and economic justice through setting international labor standards.

• What is the difference between Living Wage & Minimum Wage?

  A minimum wage is required by law and determined by the Government balancing the aims to reduce poverty and promote economic growth. Minimum wage is not adjusted for inflation and is calculated at the country level or might differ by occupation, sector, region, and/or city.

  A living wage is a voluntary reference point for the remuneration needed to afford a basic but decent quality of life. This estimate is a needs-based calculation of the cost of living for a typical family in a specific region and year. It takes into consideration the number of workers in a typical family as well as typical taxes and deductions.

• What is the difference between Living Wage & Adequate Wage?

  An Adequate Wage is defined by international bodies like the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and European Union (EU) legislation as a wage that meets the needs of workers and their families, considering national economic and social conditions. It is often linked to benchmarks such as a percentage of the median or average wage in a country (e.g., 60% of median wage) and may be used in regulatory contexts like the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

  Adequate Wage sets a baseline using national benchmarks, helping identify wage gaps and guide policy.

  Living Wage goes beyond the baseline, using real local cost-of-living data to define what workers truly need for a decent life.

• What is the difference between living wage and living income?

  A living wage is the remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family.

  A living income is the net annual income required for a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members of that household.

  The concept of living wage applies to hired workers (e.g., in factories, plantations or stores) or merchandisers who sell products. A living income is applied in the context of any income earner, such as self-employed farmers.

• Is paying workers a living wage a requirement?

  Paying a living wage is not a legal requirement. However, ensuring payment of a living wage is part of the business responsibility to respect fundamental human rights. Businesses can further align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by identifying what are the risks and challenges linked to low pay for workers and actively working on closing living wage gaps.

  Unilever is asking suppliers to take action on living wage by measuring the gap, creating plans to address the gap, and tracking progress against the plans. Our suppliers can collaborate with us on this, by signing the living wage Promise.

Why living wage?

• How is living wage related to human rights?

  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for (one) self and (one’s) family an existence worthy of human dignity.” This provision of a living wage is repeated as one of the conditions for universal and lasting peace by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

  Living wage has a direct impact on human rights such as the right to just conditions of work, the right to have adequate standard of living, the right to rest and leisure including reasonable working hours, have the right of protection of the family, the right of protection of the child and the right to health.

• How does living wage contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

  In 2015, the United Nations proclaimed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are to be achieved by 2030. The concept of living wage is crucial to 8 out of 17 the SDGs. It directly impacts 5 SDGs (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 10: Reduced Inequality, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). It also indirectly impacts other SDGs. You can read more on the link between the SDGs and living wage here.

• What are the benefits for a company to pay workers a living wage?

  There are many benefits for a company to paying workers a living wage. Among these benefits, the first worth mentioning is reduced worker turnover and increased workers’ productivity, which lowers business costs. Also, it improves a company's reputation among customers and increases its recognition as a reputable employer in the market. It supports the company in achieving regulatory reporting and Sustainable Development Goals, especially the ones focusing on human rights (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11). Overall, it can also help to incentivise interest in the sector, avoid consumer boycott and stabilise supply chain actors and relationships.

• What are the benefits for the workers to receive a living wage?

  There are many benefits for a worker receiving a living wage, this ensures workers earn sufficient wages for them and their family to afford a basic but decent life. “A Living Wage means the difference between mere subsistence and the ability to meet basic needs and have a modest amount left over to enhance well-being and physical and mental health. A Living Wage can free people from personal debt, help to pay for the education of their children or to save for their own security in later life” (Wage Indicator, link).

What is a living wage benchmark?

• What is a living wage benchmark?

  Living Wage Benchmarks are a calculation of the wage that is necessary to afford a basic and decent standard of living for a particular area. The conceptual definition of living wage has been translated into a practical methodology by a handful of research and measurement organisations. Through these methodologies, these trusted organisations develop and publish living wage benchmarks. These organisations can also provide such independent and credible benchmarks, as well as background and contextual information.

  Benchmarks are not inherently sector specific and the living wage applies to everyone living in that area or region. However, certain areas are highly dominated by the presence of one or two sectors which makes the living wage particularly relevant for that sector.

• Who calculates the living wage benchmarks?

  Benchmarks are developed by a variety of independent researchers, unions, and organisations, in consultation and participation with local stakeholders. Each organisation and Living Wage Benchmark Methodology has their own approach for calculating the Living Wage, following the common definition.

  To understand whether a living wage methodology is robust, IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative) has developed a process to recognize credible living wage benchmark methodologies available in the market. IDH acknowledges there are many methodologies available to calculate living wage benchmarks and the recognition process is open to all methodologies to apply. Information about all recognised living wage benchmarks, including the regions that they cover, can be found on the IDH website.

• Does Unilever request a specific benchmark?

  Unilever does not mandate a specific living wage benchmark for your organisation. However, we request that suppliers use a benchmark approved by IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative). You can find the list of approved benchmarks in the living wage playbook or directly on the IDH website.

  IDH approves living wage benchmark methodologies through a formal recognition process, which includes an application, self-assessment, and independent verification against established criteria. The final decision on recognition is made by the IDH Steering Committee, based on recommendations from the Recognition Leader.

• How is a living wage calculated?

  The living wage is calculated by first establishing the cost for the basic but decent life in a specific region, inclusive of food, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, clothing, and other essential needs for a family including unexpected events. The exact costs reflect local items and prices.

  The total costs for a family are then divided by the typical number of working adults to reflect other wage earners' contribution to the family earnings.

  This value indicates the necessary take home pay for one wage earner, or the net living wage, in a specific region for a single month.

  Finally, this net living wage is adjusted to consider taxes and deductions. Living wage estimates are often expressed in both local currency and US Dollars.

• What are the differences between the living wage benchmark methodologies?

  Each organisation and Living Wage Benchmark Methodology has their own approach for calculating the Living Wage although they use the same common definition. For instance, a common difference is how each methodology gathers the necessary data. Additionally, each methodology may consider different items ‘basic but decent’ in the cost of living. Moreover, the geographical scope can differ (e.g., some methodologies provide benchmarks at the country level while others provide benchmarks at the regional or sub-regional level). Some methodologies are publicly available online while others are for purchase.

  The following links explain the core elements of the approach of each Living Wage Benchmarking Methodology,

  • Full-Fledged Anker Methodology
  • WageIndicator Typical Family Methodology
  • Fair Wage Network Typical Family Methodology
  • Living Wage for US Typical Family Methodology
• Is inflation considered for the living wage calculation?

  The living wage calculation considers inflation in the calculation as each benchmark is specific to a calendar year. Living wage benchmarks are updated from a prior year either by collecting data afresh on an annual basis, or by adjusting for inflation.

• How does the living wage vary by location? i.e. How different would the living wage be for tea-pluckers in north India (Assam vs south India)? How much higher is living wage than minimum wage in different countries? What's the range?

  Living wage benchmark calculation uses a number of parameters that are specific to a country or location. As detailed previously, the process includes collecting data on the cost of living for an average sized family in that place; the cost is then adjusted by the average number of income earners in a family; and finally, there is an adjustment for statutory benefits and taxation. As the cost of housing, food, transportation, education, etc. can be different for different regions within a country, the living wage benchmark will also be different.

  Similar to the cost, other parameters of average family size, number of income earners, taxes and statutory deductions will differ by country. Hence, the benchmarks can have a very wide range of difference for different locations/ countries. Please refer to WageIndicator benchmarks data which are available for each state in India for a specific answer.

• Reference is made to “typical family”. Can you elaborate how this is put together? (Country-based? Fertility rate?)

  The IDH methodology considers the following factors to determine the "typical family" for living wage benchmarks:

  Local Fertility Rate: The local fertility rate is used to determine the number of children in the "typical family." This ensures that the benchmark reflects the actual family structures prevalent in the specific region.

  Adults: The benchmark always includes two adults as part of the "typical family."

  Total Family Size: The total family size is determined by adding the number of children (based on the fertility rate) to the two adults.

• For the calculations, are retrospective wages used for the prior year, or prediction of what is to come in the year ahead?

  Living Wage calculations are typically forward-looking—they’re based on predicted costs for the year ahead, not retrospective wage data. Analysts assess current and projected prices for essentials like rent, food, and transport to estimate what workers will need to earn to afford a decent standard of living over the coming year.

• How often are the living wage benchmarks updated?

  Annual Reviews: Living wage rates are updated regularly to reflect inflation and shifting costs. These reviews incorporate regional data, ensuring that wage recommendations stay aligned with local economic realities.

How to implement living wage?

• Is living wage applicable only to specific workers in an organisation?

  Depending on the structure of a workforce, there may be seasonal workers, temporary workers, workers hired via a third party or a subcontractor.

  All workers working in a facility or location are recommended to be included. The nature of the working contract (e.g., permanent, seasonal, temporary), the contract holder (whether it is a company, a subcontractor or a temporary work agency) and the number of contracts (one single contract, several consecutive contracts, indefinite contracts) shall not be a justification to exclude workers of this comparison. All people working in the organisation should be included disregarding the nature of the relationship, also informal workers.

• Does Living Wage also extend to “regular employed contractor”?

  Living Wage standards typically extend to direct employees and regular contracted workers who provide services on an ongoing basis. This includes individuals working through third-party agencies or contractors, as long as they’re part of the regular workforce and not hired temporarily. Organisations that commit to the Living Wage are encouraged to include these contractors in their wage policies to ensure fair treatment across all work arrangements.

• How should part-time and temporary workers be treated?

  Part-time and temporary workers have the right to earn a living wage. To ensure that part-time and temporary workers are earning a living wage, one can calculate the monthly remuneration that a part-time or seasonal/temporary worker would make if they were to work full time by prorating their remuneration to 48 hours per week, or whatever threshold the local legislation stipulates as the regular work schedule. For example, someone working 24 hours a week earning $100, would be earning $200 in 48 hours.

• How should piece-rate workers be treated?

  Workers who are paid using piece-rate have the right to earn a living wage. To calculate their full-time equivalent wage, use the total remuneration received during one complete year and the total hours worked during that year, per worker, to calculate the monthly remuneration to be compared with the living wage benchmark.

  Thus, in tools such as the Salary Matrix, it does not require complex calculations to estimate yearly salaries from diverse remuneration rates but, instead, to simply take the salaries paid and the hours worked throughout the year for each worker (or the average for the job category), as obtained from the payroll system or records.

  On the other hand, if piece-rate workers usually work less than the legal regular working hours, the total yearly legal regular working hours shall be used in the calculations instead of the actually worked hours.

  For further information about piece-rate workers, please visit the Salary Matrix E-learning website.

• What Living Wage value is taken for cross-border workers, the wage for their living or working region?

  For cross-border workers, the applicable Living Wage typically depends on the region where they live, not necessarily where they work. Since the Living Wage is designed to cover the cost of living, it's usually calculated based on the expenses faced in the worker's home area. However, policies may vary depending on organisational commitments and national guidelines, so some employers might opt to pay the higher of the two rates when applicable.

• What is a living wage gap?

  The living wage gap is the difference between the living wage estimate for that region and the comparable current remuneration of a worker for that time. The living wage estimate for that region is the gross value that a worker should be earning to have a decent standard of living for them and their family. The comparable current monthly remuneration of a worker includes their wage, the bonuses, and in-kind benefits (for more details, refer to next 2 questions).

• How is a living wage gap calculated?

  To calculate the living wage gap, we measure the difference between the living wage benchmark estimate and the comparable current remuneration of the workers.

  Living wage benchmark – Comparable current remuneration = Living wage gap

• What is included in the comparable current remuneration of workers?

  Based on the Anker Methodology, the comparable current remuneration of workers consists of the following three components:

  • Wage - A pre-agreed monetary value earned by a worker during a standard workweek (excluding overtime)
  • Bonuses - All monetary bonuses where both the value and payment regularity are agreed upon in advance.
  • In-kind benefits - Must be accepted by the workers as being valuable, directly reduce the cost of living for a worker, be provided during regular working hours, be regularly provided and agreed upon in advance, and not be mandatory by law;
    • Measured based on the cost to the employer for providing; Includes food, housing, transportation, children’s education, childcare, healthcare.
    • The total of in-kind benefits cannot be above 30% of the total remuneration, out of which each in-kind benefits has a stipulated threshold (food 10%, housing 15%, transportation 10%, children’s education 10%, childcare 10%, healthcare 10%).

  Workers' remuneration is expressed in gross values, which means taxes and deductions are not considered. Wages, bonuses, and in-kind-benefits must be agreed in advance between workers and employers.

  Note: Tools such as the Salary Matrix automatically caps the threshold of each in-kind-benefits in their calculations.

  Example:

  • Wage: $ 150
  • Bonuses: $ 60
  • In-kind benefits: $ 50
  • Total remuneration = $ 150 + $ 60 + $ 50 = $ 260
• What bonuses can be included in the calculations?

  Based on the Anker Methodology, for a bonus to be eligible, it must be a regularly provided bonus. The bonus must be expected by the workers at the start of their employment, and not be at the discretion of the employer. The worker must know in advance the amount of the bonus they are entitled to. The bonus must be paid in cash currency (as opposed to vouchers). Below is a list of examples of bonuses that qualify and those which do not qualify to be considered for living wage calculations.

  • Example of qualifying bonus that does not change: Workers in Job Category A receive a year-end bonus every year. The bonus is always 10% of the workers annual wages. Moreover, in some countries it is a legal requirement that employers pay workers one, two or even three months of additional salary, beyond the 12 calendar months. These additional months are considered fixed bonuses in those countries and can be included in living wage calculations.
  • Example of partially qualifying bonus: Workers are given productivity bonuses that vary depending on available resources but are guaranteed to be no less than 5% of wages when productivity targets are met. Productivity targets are met every year but were exceeded this year. In this case, the qualifying bonus is 5% only.
  • Example of qualifying bonus that does change: Production, quality and attendance bonuses can vary from day to day. However, the rates and the conditions of the bonuses do not vary and are understood by workers ahead of time.
  • Example of a non-qualifying bonus (legal requirement): Severance package as required by law.
  • Example of a non-qualifying bonus: At the end of last year, the facility decided to give all workers a surprise bonus equal to 10% of their wages.

  For further information about bonuses, please visit the Salary Matrix E-learning website.

  Note: These are the principles guiding the Salary Matrix and are drawn from the Anker Methodology.

  If an in-kind benefit is available for an employee but it is optional for the employee – how do we include this in the calculation of Living Wage?

  Example – Healthcare in the US:

  • The in-kind benefits should only be allocated to the workers that choose to participate in the company healthcare plans, not to all, regardless of whether the company is willing to pay for all.
  • Regarding the calculation of gaps, please find below the guidance that we follow for the Salary Matrix (based on the Anker Methodology):
  • If the employer pays the social security contribution payable by the employee, the amount corresponding to the employee contribution covered by the employer can be considered as a healthcare in-kind benefit and included in the in-kind benefits section. Note though that social security contributions to social security payable by the employer cannot be included.
  • These two types of workers should not be combined in one single job category/ calculation, because the worker who does not participate would need to get that allowance in their wage to cover their own healthcare.
• For in kind benefits: Should any benefits mandated by law for employer to provide to employee should not be counted in living wage?

  Any in-kind benefits mandated by law should not be included.

• How to tackle benefits where in law only mandates to provide the benefits but doesn't mandate the limited? For e.g. health insurance is mandatory but sum insured amount is not.

  Often these additional benefits do not make a significant difference in calculation and therefore encourage you to be pragmatic in your measurement approach. However, you can understand which in-kind benefits are already considered in the benchmark chosen by contacting the living wage estimate provider. To read more about the theory of this calculation, read the Salary Matrix guidance.

• How to treat taxes and deductions?

  The amount deducted from gross salaries for taxes and statutory deductions are already included in the living wage benchmark. Therefore, the gross (pre-tax) current remuneration of your workers should be compared against the benchmark.

• We do the salary review for workers only once a year - how can we accommodate the changes to the estimates?

  Organisations that review salaries once a year can still align with updated Living Wage rates by building in a buffer above the current estimate to anticipate cost-of-living increases. Another option is to apply the new rate immediately for new hires or contracts, while incorporating adjustments for current employees at the next review cycle. Staying informed of upcoming Living Wage updates allows for better planning and budgeting.

• How can I start working on living wage?

  • Determine your scope
  • Calculate your living wage gaps
  • Set clear goals
  • Implement your action plan to close gaps
  • As best practices, we also strongly recommend that you engage with your supply chain actors as achieving living wage requires collaboration among all supply chain actors. It is also crucial to analyse the direct cost implications to pay a living wage to your workers. Finally, sharing your learnings and experiences helps to improve transparency and communicating about your goals of paying a living wage for your workers.
  • For more information regarding each step, we recommend you visit the Living Wage Playbook.
• What are the best practices to close living wage gaps?

  To support companies to close living wage gaps, IDH has developed the Living Wage Action Guide. This tool supports in understanding how collaboration among supply chain can help overcome barriers in closing living wage gaps in global supply chains.

  Through its broad network of partnerships, IDH has developed case studies from which companies can learn. To know more about the case studies, visit this page.

• What are the key challenges in implementing a living wage?

  There can be many challenges in implementation. Some of the key ones are listed below:

  • Difficulty in understanding the steps to be taken
  • Identifying and accessing the living wage benchmarks
  • Identifying the right partners who can support
  • Addressing the additional cost from paying workers more
  • Engaging workers & communicating internally/ externally
• How do we implement or encourage Living Wage to be paid in our own supply chain – including beyond UL operations & down to the farmer level?

  To ensure fair compensation throughout your supply chain, especially for smallholders and farmers, consider these approaches:

  • Set Clear Expectations: Include Living Wage principles in supplier contracts and codes of conduct, making it a baseline requirement.
  • Assess and Map Supply Chains: Identify key partners, assess wage gaps, and prioritize high-impact areas such as agricultural communities.
  • Collaborate Locally: Work with NGOs, worker groups, and local organisations to understand regional wage standards and challenges.
  • Offer Support and Incentives: Provide tools, training, or financial assistance to help suppliers meet Living Wage targets—especially where margins are tight.
  • Monitor & Audit: Establish transparent mechanisms to track compliance, measure progress, and adapt practices based on results.
  • Lead by Example: Publicly commit to Living Wage standards across operations to encourage broader adoption throughout your industry.

  This kind of approach helps ensure ethical sourcing and contributes to long-term economic sustainability for everyone involved.

What is Unilever’s living wage strategy

• What is the living wage partner promise?

  The Living Wage Promise, whilst optional, offers purpose-led partners an opportunity to position themselves on the leading edge of our Living Wage commitment and to demonstrate that addressing the social inequality in our value chains is of paramount importance to them. The Promise, whilst non-legally binding, is a partner collaboration tool, setting out a commitment to begin one’s own journey towards Living Wage within their own supply chain. We hope our partners can take inspiration from this document, and set their own commitments and timelines based on their assessments of the challenge.

  We are asking all companies who sign our promise to:

  • Commit to evaluate the living wage gap for every worker in their operations
  • Identify strategies and plan to address the gaps
  • Share such evaluation data, strategies and plans with us to support knowledge sharing and learning
  • Commit to track their progress
  • Transparently report on progress against their plan in achieving a living wage
• If we have signed a promise in previous years, do we need to sign the updated promise?

  If your organisation has signed a prior promise, the Unilever Living Wage & procurement team will reach out to your organisation if there is a requirement to sign a new/updated version of the promise.

• Do we have to be paying a living wage to be able to sign the Promise?

  No. The Living Wage Partner Promise is a document that any of our partners can sign even when they haven’t achieved a living wage for their workers. By signing the promise, our partners declare their intention to work towards a living wage for workers by – calculating the gap for their workforce, making plans to address the same, and share their progress & learnings.

• What data are we asking our partners to share and by when do we expect them to share it?

  We have a Living Wage questionnaire present on our Supplier Portal, which collects multiple pieces of information from our partners on their Living Wage status, this can be updated at a site or company level.

  The key questions in there are: What % of workforce are currently paid a living wage? By when do you expect to close the living wage gap?

• How do the partners share the information?

  Partners share information via the Living Wage questionnaire that is hosted on the Supplier Portal, the questionnaire can be answered at company level, or on the individual site pages. The request for information is shared on an annual basis, however this can be updated by our partners when there is updates within their organisation.

• By when do we expect our partners to identify strategies and plan to address the gaps?

  Understanding that each partners journey is different, we have intentionally excluded timelines from the Promise. For our partners, the difficulty of this will depend on the size of their gaps. Our partners are encouraged to share their strategies with us through the Living Wage questionnaire on the supplier portal, so we can better understand our partners’ position.

• How do we expect our partners to track their progress?

  This is an internal commitment within the business. As living wage values change every year, it is important to highlight that it is important to keep evaluating the gaps & progress at least on an annual basis. For example - in Unilever, our global Reward team are entrusted with ensuring that we are paying employees a living wage everywhere globally. This is further verified through internal audits. Unilever also seeks certification from Fair Wage Network. We currently don't expect our partners to get certified, but this is an option available to you.

• How do we expect our partners to transparently report on their progress against their plan in achieving a living wage & by when do we expect the reporting to start?

  Reporting is voluntary, this can be done through the Supplier Portal, or can be done publicly through your website/annual reports, etc.

• How to ensure all the data we provide or work on will not be disclosed to the competitors?

  Partners are encouraged to share data through the Supplier Portal. The Supplier Portal is a limited access platform, ensuring that the information shared is only reviewed by the Partner and the Unilever team. Supplier-level information will not be disclosed outside of the Organisation.

• If I have not yet completed the living wage gap analysis, what should I report?

  Our aim is to understand where each of our partners stands on their living wage journey and to identify what support will be most helpful as they move forward. Even if you haven’t started yet, we encourage you to share your current status with us. The questionnaire provides space to outline any challenges you’ve faced in getting started—this information helps us tailor our support to address the real needs and obstacles our partners experience.

• When should I update the living wage partner questionnaire?

  Partners can report their living wage status either via the HICX supplier portal or directly through the MS Forms link. While updates through the supplier portal are currently limited to once a year, we encourage partners to use the MS Forms link to share any progress or key milestones as they occur. Target suppliers will be asked by Procurement Sustainability team to use the MS Forms.

• What is Unilever’s 2026 goal?

  Our goal is to have 50% of our procurement spend with suppliers who have signed the Living Wage Promise by 2026

• What is Unilever’s target timeline to implement a living wage?

  As part of Unilever’s RPP, living wage is a future mandatory requirement, specifying that all suppliers should be paying their workers a living wage by 2030.

• What are the differences between Unilever’s approach to living wage between different regions? Does the approach vary by region?

  At Unilever, our global strategy remains consistent: we encourage all our suppliers, across countries and commodities, to sign the living wage promise and begin their living wage journeys. While we provide regional-specific support to markets with the highest risk, this support is available to all suppliers. This localized assistance is designed to help those facing the biggest challenges.

• By when do we expect our partners to commit to evaluate the living wage gap for every worker in their operation & how is this measured by Unilever?

  We have intentionally not set a date for this in the Promise. Once our partners’ teams understand the methodology, they will be able to set their own commitments on timelines to do this, even if it only covers a portion of their business. Our partners are then encouraged to share this feedback with us through the Living Wage questionnaire on the Supplier Portal.

• Will there be any business interruption with Unilever if we could not participate in this program?

  Currently, not participating in the program will not impact business relations with Unilever. Nevertheless, we encourage our partners to consider signing the commitment to become future-fit and ensure decent livelihoods for all workers.

• Is the idea not only for us to be paying a living wage but to ensure our own supply chain is paying a living wage just like Unilever is doing with us now?

  Unilever’s current initiative is to encourage partners to take steps towards a living wage for workers in their own operations.

Miscellaneous

• Would paying Living Wage affect unemployment rate in country or in industry?

  Paying a Living Wage may have varied effects depending on economic conditions and the industry. While some argue it could lead to reduced hiring or job cuts if businesses face higher labour costs, many studies show that fair wages can boost productivity, employee retention, and consumer spending—often offsetting increased costs. In sectors with low margins, careful implementation is key. Overall, the impact tends to be nuanced, with long-term benefits often outweighing short-term adjustments.

• What role does government play in enforcing a living wage?

  Governments have a role to play, as minimum wages are regulated. The governments can help create a level playing field through raising the minimum wage to meet or be closer to the living wage. E.g. India aims to replace minimum wage with living wage by 2025.

• I tried to access Wageindicator, but the website keeps telling me to insert a valid email address. I cannot access. What am I doing wrong?

  WageIndicator data access currently works after providing a valid email address and a phone number. The website uses the email address to send a ‘verification code’ for accessing the data. For any challenges, please contact the WageIndicator support team directly.