A Scottish hotel group has reached over £1million in their staff top-up scheme this month, as part of its ‘Fair Fund’ scheme designed to boost staff wages.
Crerar Hotels, which has a portfolio of seven four- and- five-star hotels and inns across Scotland, reached the seven-figure milestone for its employees via the Fair Fund, which is made up of discretionary guest contributions, just in time for Christmas.
The quarterly payment means colleagues will receive regular Fair Fund payments to top up their wages and earn well above the living wage.
The group introduced an optional 10 per cent service charge at each of its properties back in October 2021, giving guests a simple way to reward team members for outstanding service during lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or spa treatments.
The Fair Fund is paid to more than 200 employees, across all departments on an equal basis. Payments have been made quarterly since October 2021 and will surpass £1million this month.
Hotel team members earn approximately £1,000 on top of their wages, with their Fair Fund payment being proportionate to the number of hours worked during the previous three months.
For some, this has amounted to a £2,000 top-up for three months of excellent service all recognised and rewarded by Crerar Hotels guests.
Chris Wayne-Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, said: “We are delighted to have reached such an impressive milestone for our associates in time for Christmas.
“The amount raised by the Fair Fund is directly related to the guest experience at our Hotels & Inns and 100 per cent of the amount raised in this way goes directly back to our teams.
“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 in a way that would result in a completely fair, transparent structure.
“The Fair Fund ensures that staff receive a pay-out which is equivalent to the hours they work and means that those working behind the scenes are also equally rewarded for their efforts.
“We are incredibly proud of the Fair Fund scheme and all of our associates are thrilled that their authentic and warm welcome has really shone through to be able to reap such impressive rewards.”
Abbie Dracea, an associate at Oban Bay Hotel, added: “I have been with Crerar Hotels since August 2021 and the Fair Fund is a fantastic incentive to really boost my salary.
“It is a great feeling knowing that it is also coming straight from our guests visiting and enjoying their experience with us – it gives an extra sense of pride in the job, knowing that they have really appreciated our service during their stay.
“The million-pound landmark is a fantastic milestone to reach, and I am incredibly proud to be part of the Crerar Hotels team to have got us there.
“We already get so many benefits working for Crerar Hotels and the extra cash coming this month will certainly help at this time of year.”
For more information on careers at Crerar Hotels, visit https://careers.crerarhotels.com/.
