A job advert for cleaners at Buckingham Palace shows that the London Living Wage hasn’t yet been endorsed by the Royals, with the going rate £2.03 under the recommended rate.
The London Living Wage pays £10.20 an hour, whereas housekeeping assistants at the palace will earn £8.17 an hour.
The rate, which was announced last year by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is voluntary, yet over 4,000 British employers, including GSK, Nationwide and KPMG have all supported the initiative.
The palace’s job advert highlights the disparity between low and top paid staff at the palace, with a 'Social Media Specialist' for the Palace receiving £50,000 a year and the Master of the Household on a salary of £122,000. Over the last year, the Queen’s income has increased by eight per cent from £76 million to £82million - the Mirror reports.
However, the Housekeeping Assistant role pays £16,955 per annum.
Candidates, who will be required to work 40 hours a week throughout Monday to Sunday, will be tasked with upkeeping, cleaning and caring for a wide range of interiors and items.
It also offers live-in accommodation for candidates in exchange for a reduced salary.
Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said they would be delighted if Buckingham Palace joined the movement.
She said: “We encourage all employers that can afford to do so to pay a real Living Wage that covers the cost of living, not just the government minimum.
“We'd be delighted to meet with Buckingham Palace to discuss how they can join the movement of 4,000 employers who ensure their employees earn a wage they can live on.”
However, Buckingham Palace says it pays the voluntary living wage for staff, contributes to a pension and provides meals for housekeeping employees.
A Palace spokesperson said: “This is an entry level position which offers full training. It includes accommodation in central London and meals, for which there is a salary adjustment. Additionally, the Royal Household contributes 15% of the employee's salary into a pension scheme.”
Although the Living Wage is voluntary, it makes business sense for firms to get on board.
Recruitment firm, Brightwork Group, recently pledged to pay the Living Wage to their staff and temporary candidates, with the tangible benefits including better candidate attraction, higher retention rates and lower rates of absence.
