First certified Living Wage grocery delivery store in BC

Jarr is the first delivery store in BC to become a certified Living Wage Employer, by committing to pay their staff and contracted workers a Living Wage.

The company offer package-free and low-waste groceries and household supplies, delivered right to your door using returnable containers. They are champions of the circular economy and against single-use, throwaway culture.

“As a start-up we get to lay an early foundation for how we want to compensate and engage with our employees. Paying a living wage for entry level jobs is incredibly important to people. It can be challenging to remain competitive when the minimum wage is $5 less but it’s important to our values and our business so we have to get creative.” - Emily Sproule, Jarr’s Founder

The living wage is the hourly amount a family needs to cover basic expenses. The calculation is based on a two-parent family with two children – the most common family unit in BC – with each parent working full-time. The Living Wage for Metro-Vancouver is $20.52 an hour.

“I’m proud that Jarr offers at least a living wage to all of our employees. It’s something that helps me sleep better at night knowing that we have made a living wage a priority.” - Emily Sproule, Jarr’s Founder

Most children growing up in poverty in BC live with at least one adult working full-time, full-year. In other words, child poverty in BC is very much a low-wage story. For most of the past decade, BC’s child-poverty rate has remained at one in five children living in poverty.

“We’re delighted that Jarr has become a Living Wage Employer. We hope it encourages other employers to join the Living Wage movement. In particular, we’re delighted that 70% of their staff received a pay increase to be brought up to the living wage – this will make a real tangible difference to their lives. Paying a living wage is good for workers, employers and the local community” said Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families BC

Over the past two years, the number of Living Wage Employers in BC has more than doubled – there are now 350 Living Wage Employers in BC. Employers have found paying a living wage to be a key tool in their post-Covid economic recovery. 97% of Living Wage Employers in BC have found some benefit to being part of the program.

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies.