It's getting hot in here!

Happy Friday Everyone

A week has passed, and what an eventful week it has been. Hottest day on record in the UK, and a well-deserved holiday is hopefully lurking around the corner. Are you still sipping on that Sangria from last week?

So, this is a perfect opportunity to review how we support and benefit our team members through contractual holiday allocations, and call it a 'benefit'.

Stick with me as we get into the details. We operate on the provision that all team members are entitled to 20 days of holiday plus eight bank holidays, based on 40 contracted hours per week. Payment is made on a pro-rata basis, so let us say you work 40 hours per week, over the full holiday year, you receive 28 days (224 hours) of paid holiday (including bank holidays). For argument say that instead, you work 30 hours per week. Based on the pro-rata allocation, your allocation is reduced by 25% or seven days. Your allocation is therefore 21 days (168 hours) including bank holidays. So far so good.

Now to the interesting part where we look at what happens when we contract team members in excess of the 'standardised' hours. For the purpose of this exercise, I have assumed a chef contract at 48 hours per week. Then I assume that we contract holidays based on our interpretation of what is the law and give the same holiday allocation as the person on 40 hours per week. Surely, the allocation, in this case, should be 33.6 days (268.8 hours)?

So, the above is really not an issue for us seasoned hoteliers, who have accepted that this is the norm. We also accept that we are struggling to get fresh talent into our industry. It is also widely recognised that when working in our industry the pay is low, hours unsocial (not all departments admittingly), and the real benefits of our industry are guarded like they were the Holy Grail.

So ask yourself, how did we evolve? How did we become exceptional in everything we do? What have we done to challenge the norm and reputation? In general, when standing in front of my mirror, hand on heart, I confirm the following. I have done NOTHING exceptional to install change in becoming an ethical employer. Whilst partly restricted by others, I know I could have done more.

Now is the time to change this. So, I pledge to actively engage with and promote the following organisations and concepts.

• Any Hospitality Industry focused organisation promoting ethical employment
• Any Hospitality Industry focused organisation promoting sustainable employment????
• Any wider organisation promoting fair and ethical employment

The list is big, so let me mention just a few of the many fantastic organisations supporting our industry.

• Hospitality Rising - https://hospitalityrising.org/
• The Hoteliers Charter - https://hotelierscharter.org.uk/
• Living Wage Foundation - https://www.livingwage.org.uk/

Whilst they all tackle different parts of ethical employment, the foundation we need to build on should be the commitment to evolve. When we have done so, have a hard look at what you do, and what you want ethical employment to look like. That is when the journey of change start.

An amazing journey lies ahead, so this time, I'll make mine a Jug of Pimm's with freshly picked blackberries from our local park.

If not now, when.

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