Travelodge boss says Labour’s Budget has made creating part-time jobs more expensive
TRAVELODGE boss Jo Boydell says the Budget has made creating part-time jobs more expensive — at a time when the Government should be encouraging more people into work.
But she said she is still determined to invest in recruiting part-time staff and the hotel’s training schemes because they are essential to the business.
Travelodge, which employs 13,000 people, has said that the combined hit from national living wage increases and employers’ National Insurance contributions will cost the company £21million.
Chief executive Ms Boydell said that the biggest shock to the business was the “completely unexpected hit” from the Chancellor lowering the National Insurance threshold from £9,100 to £5,000.
That will particularly hit the Travelodge workforce of part-time housekeepers and receptionists — the type of jobs that are needed to get people back into work and grow the economy.
Ms Boydell said: “We are trying to create jobs and are committed to being a good employer.
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“We believe that part-time roles are the best way for many people who need flexibility to get back to work or start their career.”
Travelodge does not use zero hour contracts and has a target to increase the number of 24-hour-plus contracts.
Ms Boydell said: “For mothers, fathers, those with caring responsibilities — families of any shape and size — the offer of flexibility in your career can mean the difference between working and not working. Finding a role that fits in around family life can be tricky.”
Travelodge has recently put in place a social mobility strategy to encourage staff to share more about their backgrounds and access its long-running training schemes.
It is also one of the only hotel chains to have its own dedicated maintenance crew to fix and refurbish rooms, and training schemes to encourage colleagues to work up to manager roles.
Around 63 per cent of the hotel managers at Travelodge are women, while 70 per cent of its entire workforce is female.
The business also has 48 per cent of women in roles in its senior leadership team, with plans to increase this to 50 per cent.
It's RoboMop
TRAVELODGE is speeding up its room-cleaning with the help of 6,733 robot vacuums, more than any company in Britain.
The devices which whizz around while housekeepers change beds and clean bathrooms, save an average of two minutes per room in cleaning time.
It means that across the chain’s 46,000 rooms they save 1,533 hours, or 63 days, in vacuuming.
'Part time roles vital'
By Jo Boydell
NOT everyone has opportunities on their doorstep and it can be overwhelming for some just knowing how to start a career.
We believe that someone’s background should never hold them back from success but we know sometimes that balancing full-time work and life commitments is too much of a juggle.
Some people can’t possibly consider a full-time job, but a part-time role could be the answer.
At Travelodge, we believe that working part-time should never be a barrier to progression — and for women and care givers so often they think it is.
We’ve heard from so many who think that it’s impossible to do a senior job on a part-time basis.
But we are determined to show that it is.
That’s why we provide real flexibility to our colleagues so they can pursue their career ambitions alongside their busy lives — whatever form they may take — when the timing is right for them.
Once someone has joined us they can then tap into our training programme, in which more than 1,000 of our colleagues have already taken part this year.
More than two thirds of our hotel management jobs are filled internally with former house keepers and receptionists, who have the opportunity to significantly increase their pay.
We know that people who have grown up in care, or provide care to others, typically find it harder to find jobs that fit around their other important responsibilities.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with Care Leavers into Careers with a pilot scheme to provide workshops and work experience to boost people’s confidence and ease their routes into employment.
We are keen to hold the doors open for people to take their first steps in the world of work — and keep them going on their chosen career paths.
Ashley's rebuff in board bid
BOOHOO’S boardroom brawl with Mike Ashley has taken another twist as an influential shareholder adviser backed the company governors.
Mr Ashley, Boohoo’s biggest investor, is lobbying for two seats after an unsuccessful bid to install himself as chief executive.
A showdown is set with a vote on December 20.
The former Newcastle FC owner has accused Boohoo’s founder Mahmud Kamani of “mismanagement”.
Boohoo argues that Mr Ashley “is seeking a board seat for his own interests” and gave recent examples of his Frasers Group putting firms into administration.
Shareholder advisory group ISS has recommended investors vote against him, saying he had “not made a compelling case for change”.
It added there was a “conflict of interest” risk as his other director candidate, Mike Lennon, had worked closely with Frasers on insolvencies.
Nvidia hit by £100BN
NEARLY £100billion was wiped off the value of AI chipmaker NVIDIA yesterday after China launched a competition probe into the business.
Shares in the $3trillion (£2.3trillion) US company fell by more than 3.5 per cent when Chinese state media reported an investigation into suspected breaches of anti-monopoly law.
Experts say the probe is a sign of a US-China tech war escalation.
Washington regulators barred Nvidia selling its most advanced products to China due to security concerns
Domino's effect
PIZZA giant Domino's is going ahead with new store openings despite a £3million Budget hit “significantly” increasing labour costs.
The delivery and takeaway chain plans to have 1,600 outlets in the UK and Ireland by 2028, up by around 300, and £2billion of sales.
It has struck a five-year profit and sales deal with its franchisees to bring, said bosses, “long-term, sustainable growth”.
Mark Millar, of the Domino’s Franchise Association, said the deal gave members “much-needed certainty”.
Mortgage rates rise
MORTGAGE rates rose last month by the biggest amount since August 2023.
An average two-year fixed mortgage rose to 5.52 per cent, in a 0.13 per cent increase — as the markets adjust to the prospect of rates staying higher for longer.
Deal's so sweet
A SUGAR rush is on its way as the owner of Cadbury’s chocolate has been linked to a huge takeover of US candy maker Hershey.
Mondelez has made an early approach for the maker of Reese’s Pieces, which is valued at $39billion (£30billion), according to reports by Bloomberg.
Shares in Hershey soared 12 per cent on the back of the bid interest.
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Mondelez had a £17billion bid for Hershey rejected in 2016.
Formerly Kraft Foods, it has owned British brand Cadbury since a takeover in 2010.