Call for research partner to calculate living wage
A technique for assessing the minimum income required to meet workers’ needs, known as the living wage, has been adopted by the organisation tasked with setting the island’s legislated earnings.
The Wage Commission announced it had taken up the international Anker Living Wage Methodology, and has launched a Request for Proposals for a “qualified research partner to conduct the comprehensive analysis”.
The Anker methodology assesses the “fair, sustainable wage” to cover basics such as food, housing and other essentials, with a small margin for unforeseen events.
It is designed to produce results that are “locally relevant and reflective of a decent standard of living”, the commission said.
The group selected the method for its “transparency, practicality and adaptability to local conditions”.
“Additionally, it factors in local public services and deductions, ensuring that the final wage supports a decent quality of life without placing undue burdens on employers,” it added.
The commission reported in 2021 on its recommendations for a minimum hourly wage rate in Bermuda.
At the time, the living wage assessment was delayed over the selection of a vendor.
The commission said its RFP and vendor selection would run from this month until March 2025, with a research partner expected to be chosen by early next year.
Research is expected to run from April to December 2025, beginning with a cost of food analysis.
Housing will be studied next, followed by the cost of other essential needs.
An analysis of the margin for unforeseen events will come next, with research closing on final calculations.
Community engagement, with the commission sharing its findings and obtaining feedback, is scheduled for January to March of 2026, with final recommendations to be handed in during June 2026.
The study of essential needs will rely on data from the ongoing household income and expenditure survey by the Department of Statistics, which is required for determining the island’s true cost of living.
The commission urged everyone selected for the survey to follow through with the department’s review.
Queries on the process can be e-mailed to wagecommission@gov.bm.
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