Former Morrisons executive Nigel Pickavance has been chosen to lead a new retail taskforce into how to end low pay and increase productivity in the retail industry, ahead of the new National Living Wage implementation.
The former Director of HR and Communications at Morrisons, Pickavance will oversee the team in its study of retailers, employees and industry experts to construct a government plan to boost both pay and productivity.
A number of employers claim that the National Living Wage, set to rise to £7.20 an hour for over 25s as of 1 April, will greatly damage their profits. However, a recent study has suggested the opposite; that there is a very strong correlation between money fears and our productivity levels.
“The UK is currently struggling to catch up with other countries on productivity, and some sectors have become characterised by low waged, low skilled jobs,” Pickavance said. “Yet across the country we are seeing innovative employers making changes to the way their businesses operate to ensure the workforce is better engaged, fairly rewarded and more productive.
The retail industry is the UK‘s biggest people industry, and we intend to find the best examples of innovative business practice that works for the employer and employee alike. We will also be clear about what government needs to do to support responsible businesses who want to boost pay and productivity.”
