Whitbread pumps £15m into staff pay rises
The uplift will come into effect from 4 November, impacting more than 30,000 employees working across Whitbread’s estate, totalling about £15m.
Minimum pay rates will rise by more than 4%, which the company said followed increases in April 2022 and October 2021.
It estimated the combined rises represented an uplift of more than 10% since October last year.
Staff benefits
Additionally, Whitbread said rates of pay will continue to remain in front of the national minimum wage and national living wage and claimed between 2019 and November 2022, entry pay rates will have risen by more than a fifth (22%).
About 1,400 salaried hotel and restaurant managers will also benefit from salary increases to help ensure a minimum differential is maintained, which will also be applicable from 4 November.
The owner of Beefeater, Brewer’s Fayre and Premier Inn, also offers team members discounts of up to 60% off hotel stays, 25% off food, a matched pension contribution scheme of up to 10% employer contributions and its Whitbread share save scheme. Furthermore, during shifts hourly-paid staff can also eat meals for £2.
Furthermore, the company will also provide a one-off payment of up to £300 for all eligible hourly paid staff and customer contact employees at Whitbread’s headquarters in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
Strong recovery
The company estimated more than 34,000 – equal to 90% - of its total UK workforce is eligible for this one-off payment.
Whitbread was pleased to confirm a pay increase and the one-off payment to help support teams with the rising cost of living, UK hotels and restaurants managing director Simon Ewins said.
He added: “As a business, we have seen a strong recovery in the first half as people return to overnight leisure and business trips and we’re hot off the heels of another very busy summer where our hotel and restaurant teams have continued to deliver the outstanding guest service for which they are famous.
“We want to thank our guest-facing team members for their continued support. It remains key to ensure our pay rates remain competitive and Whitbread remains the first port of call for new talent looking for year-round jobs in hospitality.”
