Elwyn launched its new Living Wage initiative on July 1, guaranteeing direct support employees a base wage of at least $15 an hour by 2021.

On July 1, 25 percent of Elwyn’s eligible workers were moved to the new wage, with all eligible employees — about 1,500 of them nationwide — achieving the new wage by 2021.

The initiative is part of Elwyn’s strategic plan created under the guidance of Elwyn’s ninth president and CEO, Charles McLister, who announced the wage hike on Elwyn’s website.

More than 200 direct care supervisors will also be enrolled in a new Leadership Training Program in September, which includes a salary increase.

McLister reported that the employee investment will represent an incremental expense of tens of millions of dollars over the next five years.

“We will have to become better at everything we do, aggressively raising the performance expectation for every single member of the organization,” McLister said. “With today’s announcement, we declare our intention to pursue excellence through employee engagement. By doing so, we start to address the biggest problem in our field — low pay in exchange for invaluable work.

McLister promised that Elwyn will not settle for anything less than excellence.

“We have the resources, the talent, and the organizational will to execute our strategic plan. But without you, we cannot create a Forever Elwyn by 2022,” he said. “This announcement represents the first step in a long-term employee engagement plan designed to make Elwyn the most relevant and effective human services organization in the nation.”

Check out the video announcement here.

Gov. Tom Wolf and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney shared their thoughts on Elwyn’s initiative.

“It is a sign that Elwyn truly cares about both its workers and the people it supports. I commend Elwyn for taking this bold step, and I hope others will follow Elwyn’s lead,” said. Gov. Wolf.

“A job is an incredible opportunity, but that opportunity should also be met with a wage that allows workers to live full lives and support their families,” said Kenney. “I commend the Elwyn team for taking this major step, and I hope to see more employers following their lead.”

Elwyn is currently hiring direct support employees at $15 per hour through the Greater Philadelphia area. Openings can be found here. Its full strategic plan can be accessed here.

Click here to learn more about Elwyn.

[uam_ad id=”80503″]

.

[uam_ad id=”80502″]