From Friday (1 April), all staff across LEYF’s 39 nurseries and central office staff, including bank staff and apprentices, will receive a 3.5 per cent salary increase. A small bonus will also be given to all permanent staff, awarded pro-rata based on the number of hours worked during the current financial year.
In addition, all qualified Level 3 teachers will be paid equal to or above the London Living Wage (LLW) of £11.05 per hour, while all room leaders will receive no less than £11.85 per hour.
The age-related minimum wage (NMW) for permanent and bank staff under the age of 23 years will be removed, meaning all employees will be on or above the NMW, which is set to rise to £9.50 per hour from 1 April.
LEYF’s nursery chefs, qualified and unqualified, will also see their rate of pay increase.
Other benefits for all permanent staff will now include an extra day off for their birthday, while the value of long service awards have been increased.
'We want to do all we can to look after our employees'
Chief executive of LEYF June O’Sullivan said, ‘We want to show our staff how much we value their loyalty and dedication. We know that staff shortages are affecting life in our nurseries and we want to do all we can to look after our employees who are vital to the running of the organisation. Investing in our staff is central to LEYF ethos and will continue to be our priority in the coming years.
‘We are also fully aware that cost of living is increasing, adversely affecting many working in the sector, which is why we are proud to offer this new rewards package.
'Many of our staff join LEYF because of our social purpose and we continually try to balance our purpose to change the world one child at a time, whilst also showing that it is possible to be a really good employer, pay above the sector average while continuing to provide a range of support benefits and training opportunities for this valuable sector.’