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Corps Security's comments on the Budget 2023

Corps Security’s Comments On The Budget 2023

Andy Topp, Sales and Marketing Director at Corps Security

Corps Security welcomes some of the highlights from the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement (March 2023), predominantly the announcements designed to cut the costs to our colleagues’ way of life with the rising cost of living.

For Colleagues:

Corps Security will continue to support colleagues with the cost-of-living crisis, especially our core contract staff, who have been significantly affected by rising energy and fuel prices. In recent weeks we have launched new benefits, a discount scheme and a raft of internal communications to help our colleagues budget, find advice and feel supported.

For Businesses:

Whilst the budget was favourable to our colleagues, the support for businesses in the FM and Security sectors was minimal.

With the Treasury continuing with the Corporation Tax rise to 25% from 19%, many of our customers are directly impacted. The knock-on effect will be that these companies will have to reduce investment across their businesses, reducing investment in essential focuses such as ESG and Corporate Sustainability. In turn, we will see contract values adversely challenged, meaning stunted growth in a sector already challenged with staff shortages and a lack of wage growth with many contracted workers still not being paid at least the real Living Wage. This is very disappointing, and we hope to see additional investment in the business sector to counter this growing issue.

The final comment I would like to make is around ‘Returnships’. The security and FM sectors have huge skills gaps and recruitment is an ongoing issue. We, therefore, welcome the measures to get the “experienced” people in the over 50s category back into work; however, we will refrain from further comment until the Treasury has fleshed out the training and support programme that it has alluded to.

Corps Security will continue to work with our customers to ensure we can provide as a minimum, the real Living Wage for our contract colleagues and improve efficiencies and the effectiveness of our services to ensure the opportunity to raise colleague pay remains a viable option. Our teams will collaborate with all stakeholders over the coming weeks to provide assistance and discuss the implications of the budget on them.

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Paying The Living Wage In A Cost Of Living Crisis Is Still The Right Thing To Do

Paying The Living Wage In A Cost Of Living Crisis Is Still The Right Thing To Do

Corps Security are here to support our customers at a time of concern and anxiety.

As announced by the Living Wage Foundation today, the real Living Wage has increased by 10.1% for next year – meaning the rates are now £10.90 (£11.95 in London). The Living Wage is calculated based on various factors, including inflation, so considering the cost of a basket of essentials, balanced against other costs such as energy, fuel and essential living expenses. The war in Ukraine, COVID-19, and various other factors have meant that the wage rise this year is more extensive than ever. More detail of this process can be found here.

Corp Security - Living Wage Table

 

Corps Security is a Recognised Service Provider with the Living Wage Foundation

Corps Security has been a staunch supporter of the Living Wage, and we became a recognised service provider in 2019. We were delighted this week when we passed another milestone once again, as now 97.5% of all Corps Security staff are receiving the Living Wage or above. In short, this means that all directly employed staff at Corps are paid the Living Wage as standard, and we actively work with our customers to ensure our contract staff get paid the same.

How have we managed to continue to raise our colleagues on the Living Wage?

When Corps became a Social Enterprise and achieved Recognised Service Provider with The Living Wage Foundation, we reinforced our ongoing commitment to our people. We are very proud of it, leading to winning extraordinary contracts with companies who share our focus. However, this does come at a cost – and has had a detrimental effect on the bottom line.

As one would expect, not all our contracts allow leeway to ensure our colleagues receive the Living Wage. This has led to difficult yet productive conversations with our customers to find a solution that focuses on our colleagues’ working conditions. We have been delighted with the positive response. It has led to creative thinking, the development of new ways of working and focused energies on efficiency, which has seen contracts adapt to the current financial challenge.

We are here to support you

At Corps we understand the financial burdens you are facing – we are too. We know your concerns and understand that analysing the supply chain and expenditure will be an essential part of your efforts to make cuts in your business. Nobody is more qualified to help you review your security than your supplier, so over the coming weeks, our team will be in touch to offer free consultancy and open conversations on this subject. We will include the opportunity to perform reviews to improve efficiencies and manage your contracts differently. I do hope this will help to show our commitment to you.

Our colleagues mustn’t be the first to suffer because of the impact of our business’ rising costs, as their bills continue to impact their quality of living. Let’s work together for our people and in turn, our future.

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Corps Security Marks Living Wage Week

Corps Security Marks Living Wage Week

Today marks the start of Living Wage Week (9-15th November 2020), the annual celebration of the Living Wage movement. Over the next seven days organisations across the country will take part in online events organised by the Living Wage Foundation to recognise the key role the Living Wage plays in improving people’s lives and boosting productivity within business. At the same time, the Living Wage Foundation will today announce the new Living Wage rates across the UK, which employers have up to six months to introduce.

As a Living Wage employer, Corps firmly believes in paying its people the Living Wage. We are committed to pay all our office staff the Living Wage and to always offer a Living Wage bid alongside every market rate submitted to prospective and current clients. This means the client always has the choice to implement the Living Wage at the point of tender and there is a pathway towards the Living Wage for the provider in place.

Our CEO Mike Bullock also takes a leading role in championing the Living Wage in his role in the Living Wage Foundation’s Recognised Service Provider Leadership Group. The Leadership Group was set up to influence the FM marketplace around the Living Wage Recognition Programme for service providers, advise on overall strategy relating to the Living Wage and service provider recognition and its promotion in the facilities management and outsourcing sectors.

“As an organisation which was set up more than 160 years ago to provide employment for service men returning from the Crimean War, we are committed to always providing the highest standard of pay and support to our people,” says Mike Bullock. “Being a Living Wage employer is incredibly important to us and I am passionate about raising the standard of pay within the security sector. I am delighted to support Living Wage Week and am very much looking forward to attending a number of online events over the next week. Our security officers have served on the front line during this pandemic and they deserve the best rates of pay.”

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Mike Bullock From Corps Joins Living Wage Foundation’s Leadership Group

Mike Bullock From Corps Joins Living Wage Foundation’s Leadership Group

Corps Security’s CEO Mike Bullock has been appointed a member of the Living Wage Foundation’s Recognised Service Provider Leadership Group. The news follows Corps joining the Living Wage Foundation’s Service Provider Recognition Scheme earlier this year as part of its drive to improve the pay and living standards of its security officers. 

The Leadership Group was set up to influence the FM marketplace around the Living Wage Recognition Programme for service providers, advise on overall strategy relating to the Living Wage and service provider recognition and its promotion in the facilities management and outsourcing sectors. In addition to Bullock, who represents the security sector, the leadership group includes representatives from the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) the Cleaning and Support Services Association (CSSA), Sodexo, ISS, Facilicom and Carlisle Support Services. Up to 20 people can be members of the group and they serve for a three-year term. The group meets quarterly.

The move is part of Corps commitment to raise the standard of pay within the security sector. The organisation has committed to pay all its own head office staff the Living Wage and to always offer a Living Wage bid alongside every market rate submitted to prospective and current clients. This means the client always has the choice to implement the Living Wage at the point of tender and there is a pathway towards the Living Wage for the provider in place. Corps joins more than 140 other organisations which have made the same commitment to champion the Living Wage.

“As an organisation which was set up more than 160 years ago to provide employment for service men returning from the Crimean War, we are committed to always providing the highest standard of pay and support to our people. Joining the Leadership Group and representing the security profession is a key part of that journey,” said Mike Bullock, CEO of Corps Security.

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Our Social Values

We protect more than you think

There’s a lot more to Corps Security than you might expect. Yes, we are experts in security and we have over 160 years of experience. But we’re also experts in how to put sustainability and diversity at the heart of everything we do.

We are a Social Enterprise

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About Corps Security

Built on over 163 years of experience and a clear social mission, we provide specialist security services tailored to ensure the safety of people and property.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do, through the people we work with, the people we employ, the people we help and the planet we protect. Together we protect the things that matter.

Registered Office at 85 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6PF.  Registered in England No. 03473589

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