Saturday, February 8, 2025
Saturday, February 8, 2025
HomeNewsBusiness NewsPet Bereavement leave included in Crerar Hotel employee benefits as group invests...

Pet Bereavement leave included in Crerar Hotel employee benefits as group invests £1 million

Crerar Hotels has committed more than £1m towards attracting, retaining, and developing the best talent in order to tackle the ongoing hospitality industry recruitment crisis. This includes revamped employee benefits including contributions towards driving lessons, paid time off the day children start primary school, a compulsory day off on employees’ birthdays, and pet bereavement leave.  believed to be a first for a hotel.

The company has also launched the Crerar Academy with an ongoing investment of at least £250,000 per year.The Academy aims to support life-long learning and genuine career progression, giving employees the opportunity to receive the best training through university partners, access to industry body scholarships and a dedicated SVQ partnership to help staff gain formal qualifications.

Crerar Hotels CEO, Chris Wayne-Wills, said, “We’re coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic in a relatively fortunate position regarding our ability to invest in attracting and retaining talent. We planned meticulously for the impact Brexit was set to have on the industry’s workforce, so we are ahead of the game.

“There’s no doubt that the hospitality industry is in crisis when it comes to availability of skills – a crisis we have all met far sooner than expected due to the double impact of the pandemic and the fall-out of Brexit. 

“In response, we’ve accelerated our plans that are focused on not only becoming an employer of choice within the Scottish hospitality industry but to become a first-choice employer regardless of sector. 

“That’s why investment is so important. As a privately-owned company, we are committing more than £1 million to our people development plans at a time like this as we know there is nothing more valuable than our people.”

He continued, “The only real criteria we’re looking for in our employees is a commitment – to being authentic and the best possible version of themselves, so they can get exactly what they want from a career with us. Whether they’re testing the hospitality waters, looking to work their way up the industry ranks, or looking to turn their hand to something new in the later stages of life, we will help our teams learn and develop the skills they need to thrive.

 “Our industry-leading Academy will constantly develop to ensure the needs of our teams are met. As well as supporting long-term career progression, we also want to develop and nurture the next generation of hospitality talent through our apprenticeship programme – which is vital given the current levels of youth unemployment that has granted 16–24-year-olds the title of ‘Generation Covid’. 

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