A Scottish hotel group is set to pay out £150k to their associates this month, following the introduction of its newly revised ‘Fair Fund’.
Crerar Hotels, which has a portfolio of seven four- and- five-star hotels and inns across Scotland, will reward its employees via the fund which is made up of guest contributions. The payment is quarterly, meaning associates who are now on or above Minimum Living wage will receive regular Fair Fund payments to top up their wages.
The group introduced an optional 10% service charge at each of its properties, giving guests a simple way to reward team members for outstanding service.
Since June, a total of £150k has amassed thanks to guests opting in when paying for lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or spa treatments.
The Fair Fund will be paid to more than 200 employees, across all departments on an equal basis.
Hotel team members stand to earn approximately £1k on top of their annual salaries, with their Fair Fund payment being proportionate to the number of hours worked during the last three-months. For some chefs, this amounted to a £2k top up for three months of excellent service.
The ‘Fair Fund’ quarterly pay-out comes just months after Crerar Hotels launched a tranche of brand-new employee lifestyle benefits, and committed £1m to talent attraction, retention, and development via the Crerar Academy.
Chris Wayne-Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, said, “All of our team members work incredibly hard to deliver first-class, authentic Scottish hospitality, so we wanted to give guests a simple way to reward this that would result in a completely fair, transparent structure.
“The Fair Fund ensures that staff receive a pay-out which is proportionate to the hours they work and means that those working behind the scenes are also rewarded for their hard work.
“We’ve made the system completely transparent so all team members can see who has earned what in each quarter and absolutely every penny contributed by guests is given to our deserving employees.”
The Fair Fund will be paid out quarterly, and guests have the choice to opt in or out of the service charge. There is no charge for breakfast or rooms.
Case study
Bethan Moore (pictured) is a food and beverage (F&B) supervisor who has been with Crerar Hotels for four years and is one of the many employees who will benefit from the Fair Fund.
Moore joined Golf View Hotel & Spa in 2017 and worked in the reception and covered an odd F&B shift before quickly moving up the ranks to Food and Beverage Supervisor.
She said, “The news of the Fair Fund pay-out is fantastic. We already get so many benefits from Crerar Hotels that you don’t see in other hospitality businesses, but this is the icing on the cake, and makes us all feel really appreciated by the guests and the business.
“I really enjoy the flexibility with shifts that I get working for Crerar Hotels as I am able to work around my busy family life – something many people wouldn’t normally associate with a job in the industry. I started just after maternity leave and four years and one more child later, I still love my job, the location and the people I work with.
“For my work anniversary, we were given an overnight stay as a family, and I appreciate the simple things like being able to take my daughter to school and use the leisure facilities – it all adds up. The Fair Fund payment is an added top up which will allow me to treat myself and family.”