Cable supplier reports staff retention nearing 90% after adopting Real Living Wage

By Esther Smith

Eland Cables says paying the voluntary wage rate has helped it retain experienced warehouse staff, reduce recruitment costs and improve the reliability of customer orders.

A South Yorkshire cable supplier says staff retention has risen from below 70% to nearly 90% since it changed its approach to pay, after losing experienced employees to better-paid jobs nearby.

Eland Cables introduced the Real Living Wage after a large distribution centre opened near its warehouse in 2017 and began attracting staff away. Retention subsequently fell to just under 70% in 2019, but had reached nearly 90% by the end of 2025, according to the company.

The business says it no longer relies on agency workers and has reduced order errors as it has kept more experienced employees. The figures are company-reported, and other factors may have contributed to the improvement, but Eland argues that higher pay has been an important part of retaining the knowledge its operation depends on.

Why retention affects deliveries

Eland supplies electrical cable for construction, energy and infrastructure projects. Its warehouse staff cut and dispatch cable to precise customer specifications, a job in which errors can delay work on site.

“Our customers are delivering projects where the wrong cable, or the right cable arriving late, can hold up work on site,” said JS Pelland, Executive Director at Eland Cables. “That reliability comes down to people, and keeping long-serving staff is one of the most practical things we can do to strengthen our part of the supply chain.”

Pelland said replacing departing employees previously meant recruitment costs, sometimes agency cover, and months of training. Keeping staff has allowed the business to build up skills rather than repeatedly train replacements.

“It pays back so quickly in a reduction in errors: we send the right cable to the right place at the right time,” he added.

Ben Pankovics joined Eland as a cleaner on the Real Living Wage in 2017 and has since progressed to warehouse shift supervisor, where he trains newer colleagues.

“I started out in an entry-level position, but I was paid the Living Wage rather than just the minimum wage,” he said. “It made me feel like what I did was valued and helped me take pride in it. It’s part of the reason I’ve stayed and been able to progress.”

Paying the new rate from day one

Eland says it will adopt the updated Real Living Wage rates from 15 October 2026, the day they are announced, rather than waiting until the 1 May 2027 deadline given to accredited employers.

The Real Living Wage is calculated independently according to living costs and is paid voluntarily. It is separate from the government’s statutory National Living Wage.

“The new rate is based on what people need to cover the cost of living today,” said Deborah Graham-Wilson, Head of Communications and ESG at Eland Cables. “That need is there now, not in six months’ time, so our team should benefit from it straight away.”

The case illustrates a point relevant to HR and operations leaders: decisions about pay can affect more than the wage bill. For businesses that rely on experienced staff, turnover can also bring recruitment costs, lost knowledge and service disruption. It adds a practical example to the wider discussion about why employees choose to stay with an employer.