Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), as part of SSE plc, has been confirmed as an accredited Living Hours Employer; underlining its commitment to providing its workers with secure, guaranteed working hours.
The Living Hours programme requires employers to both pay a real Living Wage and commit to provide at least four weeks' notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period. Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 working hours every week - unless the worker requests otherwise - and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.
Through parent company, SSE plc, SSEN was already an advocate and adopter of the Living Wage movement. This announcement further demonstrates the importance SSE and its network business, SSEN places on setting strong standards on fair work and better support for its colleagues and their families across the north of Scotland and central southern England.
John Stewart, SSE's HR Director, said:
"The real Living Wage movement has been an incredible phenomenon, championing the fundamental truth that people should be able earn enough to live a decent life. Living Hours is the other side of that coin. The amount of pay employees take home can be affected by irregular and unpredictable hours.
"The majority of our direct employees are already on contracts which meet the Living Hours requirements, but it is right that a company like SSE, headquartered in the UK and delivering some of the biggest projects in the fight against climate change, should guarantee higher standards for workers. This is fundamental to ensuring there is a fair and just transition to net zero.
"Like with our Living Wage accreditation, the most important impact of Living Hours is that, in time, it will flow through our supply chain activities and benefit those working regularly on our behalf too. It is the right thing to do and we are very proud to have achieved this accreditation and hope it will help show others the way."
Laura Gardiner, Living Wage Foundation Director, said:
"We're delighted that SSE has been accredited as a Living Hours Employer. This is a challenging time, with the pandemic having affected all of our lives and livelihoods in some way.
"But it has also shown the importance of providing workers and families with stability and security. As we look to start our economic recovery, there is strong public support for employers to provide their staff with stable and guaranteed hours. By becoming a Living Hours Employer, and committing to decent work, businesses like SSE are helping to lead us out of this crisis."
SSEN was the first UK Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to demonstrate its climate leadership by publicly committing to setting science-based reduction targets to achieve net zero carbon emission; signing a commitment letter which will see the network operator strive to cut its own emissions further and faster. SSEN will announce its science-based targets as part of its upcoming draft business plan for RIIO-ED2 in July, following further stakeholder and consumer engagement.
SSEN is consistently investing and innovating to improve network resilience and future-proof power supplies for changing demands, from rolling out large scale EV charging schemes to supporting small community generation projects.