SMALL BUSINESSES CALL ON NEW GOVERNMENT TO HELP PAY BETTER WAGES FOR EMPLOYEES

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015

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OMBs ask for tax breaks to pay the living wage.

According to the latest release of the Owner Managed Business (OMB) Barometer from Bank of Cyprus UK, 39% of owner managed businesses would like to see the new Government provide tax breaks to enable them to pay their employees the ‘living wage’.

The research found that in the last quarter OMBs were increasingly confident about their business prospects, with 25% of OMBs stating they intend to hire more staff in the next 12 months, an increase from 19% in December 2014.

Commenting on the research, Tony Leahy of Bank of Cyprus UK said: “OMBs understand that realising their growth prospects is closely entwined with the commitment and efforts of their employees. The research shows there is a clear desire on the part of OMBs to ensure their employees are paid fairly, but it is often a big challenge for smaller businesses to pay higher wages.

“The key themes of the recent election campaign have been a focus on maintaining the recent economic progress made in the UK whilst ensuring the benefits of this progress are more closely felt by working families. It therefore follows that by taking the requisite steps to help small businesses, our newly-elected government can go a long way to realising both of these key objectives.”