Kāpura has rolled out living wage adjustments to all employees. Staff at one of their venues, Huxley's, talk to Stuff about the decision to pay the living wage.

Sarah Guthrie is grateful she no longer feels the pressure of living “pay cheque to pay cheque”.

The 20-year-old Wellington student and part-time worker at Huxley’s is one of hundreds who has just been given a pay rise, as part of parent company Kāpura’s pledge to pay all employees a living wage of at least $23.65 per hour.

“It will prevent me from living pay cheque to pay cheque. It will allow me to put a bit away each week,” Guthrie said.

Kāpura, which employs more than 1000 people across hospitality sites in Wellington, Hamilton, and Tauranga, has rolled out living wage adjustments to all employees currently paid between minimum wage and $31.41.

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More than 84% of Kāpura employees received an increase as a result, with about 200 of those previously on minimum wage.

While Guthrie was earning above the minimum age, the pay bump to a living wage would help her to continue living in Wellington where she is most of the way through studying towards a...

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