Construction Management is the highest circulation construction-based publication serving the UK built environment.
News
One-off payments and ‘emergency lunch’ – how contractors are helping with cost of living
Neil Gerrard Associate editor
Image: Dreamstime
Keltbray has become the latest contractor to announce a one-off cost-of-living payment to its workers, to help them with rising prices.
The specialist contractor said it would pay £1,000 to all employees on a basic salary of £50,000 a year or less. It will also conduct a pay review for all employees on 1 November. The percentage of pay rise that workers receive will be scaled. Keltbray said it expected to apply the maximum rise of 5% to around 75% of its PAYE employees.
Darren James, chief executive officer at Keltbray, said: “We are acutely aware of the impact that the current levels of inflation are having on the cost of living in the UK. And we want to do all we can to support our people in these challenging times.”
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
The announcement comes days after Galliford Try said it would give a £750 cost-of-living payment to around half its workforce.
A total of around 1,800 Galliford Try workers will receive the payments, in addition to a pay rise. The company has also intensified its series of financial planning training sessions, tools and resources. It is delivering these through its Be Well programme.
The company said it recognised the important part financial wellbeing plays on overall mental health.
Bill Hocking, chief executive of Galliford Try, said: “We recognise that the rising cost of living is challenging many households across the UK and, as a people-orientated, values-driven organisation we are committed to supporting our people through a variety of means. This is just the latest step of many, offering added support where we can make a difference.”
'Emergency lunch'
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, contractor McLaughlin & Harvey is offering workers a free ‘emergency lunch bag’ on one of its sites.
The free lunches are for anyone on a work placement and all site operatives on induction, on a no-questions-asked basis.
The company launched the initiative after becoming aware that some people on work placements were using what money they had to travel to site.
It also realised that young people were less likely to inform the team that they don’t have anything to eat.
The contractor hopes that the initiative will take away the stigma of in-work poverty.
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
Powered Access
CM, in partnership with IPAF, has launched a new survey to explore the industry’s views and experiences with powered access machines on construction projects.
This is not a first step towards a paywall. We need readers to register with us to help sustain creation of quality editorial content on Construction Management. Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings. Thank you.
