Agency covers national insurance increase with employee pay rise

Communications agency, WPR, has become the first UK agency to commit to covering the government 's National Insurance increase by giving a pay rise to all its employees.

The Birmingham-based agency has committed to cover the 1.25 per cent National Insurance increase on any earnings over £9,500 from April 2022 with an equivalent 1.25 per cent increase in salaries for all employees from 1 October.

Managing director Jane Ainsworth said that the pay rise is recognition for the hard work of employees and the relative youth of the agency 's team.

She said: “Like many agencies, we 've got a lot of young employees who work incredibly hard and do brilliant work. We 're very proud of our graduate recruitment record and we just can 't see our talented people bearing the brunt of a tax rise that will hit them hardest. ”

“It 's been a really positive bounce back from the pandemic and we want all of the team to share in our success and not be penalised. It 's important to us that our younger employees have a little extra cash in their pockets over the next few months and a cushion for when the National Insurance increase comes into force in April 2022. ”