22/10/26
A day in the life of Elaine McGrath
The Living Wage Foundation has announced its new 2026-27 rates, increasing the real Living Wage to £14.10 per hour across the UK and the London Living Wage to £15.45 per hour.
The increases of 4.8% and 4.4% respectively reflect the continued importance of fair pay in meeting everyday living costs.
For the commercial cleaning industry, where people are central to service delivery, the announcement raises an important conversation about workforce investment, service standards and the implications of rising employment costs for clients.
Recognising the people behind our workplaces
Cleaning teams play an essential role in maintaining the standards, presentation and day-to-day experience of commercial workplaces.
Across London’s premium office buildings and workplaces nationwide, cleaning operatives are responsible for environments that employees, visitors and clients rely on every day.
Attracting and retaining experienced cleaning professionals is therefore an important consideration for businesses seeking a reliable, consistent cleaning service.
Fair pay forms part of that conversation, alongside training, employee wellbeing, development opportunities and effective operational support.
Balancing workforce investment with client expectations
For organisations procuring commercial cleaning services, changes to wage rates also highlight the importance of understanding how cleaning contracts are structured.
Labour represents a significant element of cleaning service delivery. As wage expectations evolve, maintaining the right balance between workforce investment, operational efficiency and service quality becomes increasingly important.
The latest announcement also comes at a time when cleaning contractors are facing wider employment cost pressures. The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) recently forecast that cleaning costs could rise by 23.6% over the next five years. However, Stuart Conroy, Commercial Director at Peartree Cleaning, believes increases approaching 40% are possible when the impact of the Real Living Wage, employers’ National Insurance contributions and changes to employment legislation are taken into account.
Stuart Conroy, Commercial Director at Peartree Cleaning, said, “Cleaning is a people-led service and the quality our clients expect depends on having reliable, experienced and well-supported teams. Wage increases are an important part of the wider conversation but so is ensuring that cleaning contracts are structured to deliver consistent standards and long-term value.
“Clients need to understand how rising employment costs are reflected in their contracts, particularly where agreements run for several years. If those increases aren’t properly accounted for, the pressure can eventually be felt in service standards.”
Looking beyond the hourly rate
As businesses review their cleaning requirements, the conversation should extend beyond the hourly cost of labour.
Workforce continuity, effective supervision, training, service innovation and clear performance monitoring all contribute to the overall value of a cleaning contract.
For longer-term contracts, it is also important to understand how wage increases and other employment costs are accounted for. Annual uplifts based on general inflation may not fully reflect these pressures, potentially creating a gap between contract pricing and the actual cost of delivering the service.
For Peartree, an independent, family-run business celebrating 40 years in 2026, maintaining high standards across commercial workplaces remains closely connected to the people delivering those services.
The latest Living Wage announcement is an opportunity for the industry and its clients to consider how responsible workforce investment and commercial value can work together to support consistently high cleaning standards.
