Mudasir Malik had big ambitions to become a lawyer when he graduated from university. But after jumping around different law firms in Manchester, he felt that working as a paralegal paid 'peanuts' and did not reflect the time and effort he put into the profession.
READ MORE: 'People call me selfish for not wanting children... but I don't want to sacrifice my holidays and lie-ins'Adept was one of the first security firms in the North West to sign up to the Real Living Wage, which means staff are paid at least £12 an hour.
"I thought it was a no brainer. What appealed to me was the four days on, four days off - but now I work 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. But the firm, which looks after the Spinningfields estate, realised that just paying the minimum wage meant that security jobs were not 'cost effective' for staff. All 200 employees at Adept - including cleaners - now earn the Real Living Wage of at least £12 an hour.
The number of Manchester employers now paying the Real Living Wage has increased to 282 over the last 12 months - a rise of 50.8 per cent - exceeding the targets set for both 2023 and 2024. This had led to a pay rise for 9,020 people across the city in the last year.