Chelsea have become the first English professional football club to be accredited as a Living Wage employer, reports www.fcbusiness.co.uk The Living Wage Foundation's accreditation means that from January 2015, Chelsea will pay all directly employed members of staff the Living Wage as a minimum - currently £9.15 in London or £7.85 an hour outside of London.
The current national minimum wage is £6.50 an hour.
At the same time the club will also start the process of ensuring staff of external contractors will also receive the Living Wage for working at Stamford Bridge, Cobham training ground and all areas where the club operates.
Chelsea will also ensure any additional agency employees not currently meeting the criteria to receive the Living Wage will also get the same rates of pay. This process will be completed by July 2017.
Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck said: "As a responsible employer we are proud of this significant achievement for the club.
"We believe the move to the Living Wage underlines our commitment to ensuring that all our employees receive a fair rate of pay for their hard work and dedication. Quite simply it is the right thing to do."
