Eight employers across BC recently received certification as Living Wage Employers. Since 2009 when the BC-based Living Wage for Families Campaign began certifying Living Wage Employers, 180 employers have received the designation.

This week, we’ve been exploring the costs facing the ‘living wage family’ in regions across BC. These analyses are helpful to understand what an average working family may be dealing with, but they still represent a hypothetical family. Today, let’s get into the reality facing low-wage families across our province.

For the third post in our series for Living Wage Week, we're diving further into child care. While the living wage family is experiencing a massive reduction in their child care expenses this year, accessing quality child care is still difficult for many BC families.  

Second in our series for Living Wage Week, we're exploring whether the living wage family in our calculations spends an affordable amount of their income on housing. It’s no secret that housing affordability is an issue in BC, and getting a safe and stable place to live remains a critical issue for many working families. 

This week, November 11-17, is Living Wage Week. We're celebrating with a series of blog posts that dive deeper into our living wage calculations and what they reveal about working poverty in BC.

First up: learn how the provincial government's child care policies affected our 2019 living wages by offsetting all other increases in the cost of living. 

On the 71^st International Credit Union Day, Stabilization Central Credit Union has become one of eight new Living Wage Employers in British Columbia. Stabilization Central joins seven other credit unions across the province in obtaining this certification. 

The BC government recently consulted the public about implementing paid leave for those experiencing domestic or sexual violence. The Living Wage for Families Campaign submitted four recommendations advocating for paid leave that is protected and accessible. 

The fifth and final resource in our new series for employers: learn about the living wage for non-profit organizations. Non-profits have different operating procedures than private companies, but they can still become Living Wage Employers. 20% of Living Wage Employers in BC are non-profits!

As of October 1, the City of Burnaby has implemented a living wage policy for its direct staff. This means that all city staff are earning enough to afford a good quality of life in Burnaby.

Fourth in our new series of resources for employers: learn how to make the living wage work for your small business. 78% of Living Wage Employers in BC have 50 or fewer employees, and 48% have 10 or fewer employees - you can join them!