Living Wage Policy

We are committed to paying all of our employees a Living Wage.

At PharmacyGo, it is important to us to be aware of and maintain corporate social responsibility. We strive to make decisions and take actions that have a positive impact on our community, our staff, and the people we serve. As a responsible employer, we believe that our employees need to earn a wage that sustains a lifestyle that meets the needs of daily living and provide some discretionary income. We recognize that paying a living wages constitutes a critical investment in the long-term prosperity of our organization by fostering a dedicated, skilled and healthy workforce.

Definition

The living wage is the hourly rate of pay that enables wage earners living in a household to:

• Feed, clothe and provide shelter for their family
• Promote healthy child development
• Participate in activities that are an ordinary element of life in the community
• Avoid the chronic stress of living in poverty

This hourly rate is calculated based on the living expenses of a family of four with two children aged 4 and 7, with both parents working full-time (35 hours/week). Living expenses are calculated in 10 categories - Food, Clothing and Footwear, Shelter, Transportation, Child Care, Medical Services Plan Premiums, Non-MSP Health Care, Parents’ education, Contingency Fund and Other (such as personal care, furniture, household supplies). The cost of government deductions (provincial and federal taxes, Employment Insurance and Canada Pension contributions) and the value of government transfers like the Canada Child Tax Benefit are also factored into the calculation.

Application

The policy applies to all employees employed by PharmacyGo.

Direct Staff

Staff earning only a salary or wage will earn at minimum a Living Wage

To determine the wage of staff earning commission, gratuities, or other form of incentive type pay in addition to or instead of a salary or wage will be calculated by taking the total earnings and dividing it by the hours worked. This wage must be, at minimum, a Living Wage.

Contracted Staff

Where services are contracted, e.g. food service, cleaning, etc., we choose vendors/service providers that also pay a living wage to their staff similar to this policy.

This clause covers external contracts that provide services for your company on a regular ongoing basis, that is for at least 120 hours of labour per year.

Benefits in Consideration

In instances where non-mandatory benefits are provided to staff, the Living Wage may be adjusted to reflect the positive impact these benefits have on the employee’s ability to meet basic needs and have some discretionary income.

These benefits include health, dental, and disability coverage for staff covered by this policy.

Benefits may be provided on a cost shared basis, however, the premiums paid by the employee cannot reduce the wage to below an acceptable level with respect to a Living Wage.