Scottish Sea Farms is to provide cost-of-living support payments to its employees to help ease the impact of soaring fuel bills and food prices this winter.
The help, totalling £750 for each employee, will be paid in three instalments.
October and November will each see £250 added to monthly salaries of each of the 658 staff, with a break in December when the company traditionally rewards its employees with an end of year bonus, followed by a third payment of £250 in January 2023.
The move comes as inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.9% last month and as the energy price guarantee – a government intervention to reduce future costs – comes into effect.
Scottish Sea Farms managing director Jim Gallagher said the company had been looking closely at what more it could do to cushion the worst of the cost-of-living crisis for its 678-strong workforce.
Mr Gallagher said: “The challenge facing all employers is how to help employees meet the increased cost of living while also safeguarding long-term business viability.
Pressure on household budgets is every bit as real”
Scottish Sea Farms Managing Director Jim Gallagher
“Across each area of our company, costs continue to rise to levels not previously seen before.
“The price of fish feed – one of our single largest outlays annually – has risen by 43% this year alone.
“Over the same period, the cost of oil and diesel has increased by 71% and utilities by 125%.
“The pressure on household budgets is every bit as real and we hope the extra monthly support will go some way towards helping our employees with rising household costs and bills, which have become a huge cause for concern.”
All those employed by Scottish Sea Farms before or from 1 October 2022 will receive the cost-of-living support payments, starting this month and subject to the normal salary deductions.
Anyone starting employment after this date will be eligible from the first of the next calendar month.
The cost-of-living payments are part of a wider package of support for Scottish Sea Farms employees introduced in recent years including enhanced maternity and paternity for all employees with one or more years’ service and discounted child care.
Scottish Sea Farms employs 678 staff
In addition the company has committed to paying lower earners above the Real Living Wage, increasing the company’s entry level salary up £21,632 before overtime, weekend payments, employer pension contributions and end of year bonus.
Scottish Sea Farms employs 678 people across its three business regions with 309 on the Scottish mainland, 220 in Argyll and Bute, 59 in the Highlands and Islands and 30 at the company’s head office in Stirling.
A further 293 are in Shetland and 76 in Orkney.
Worry over shortage of housing
News of Scottish Sea Farms’ employee initiative comes hot on the heels of industry trade body Salmon Scotland last month urging attention be paid to the shortage of housing for coastal and Highland communities.
Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott said: “The shortage of available, affordable housing in island and Highland communities is pricing people out of the housing market and businesses are experiencing problems recruiting and retaining staff – leading to hard-to-fill vacancies, skills shortages and depopulation.
“Long-term house price rises are being exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and Scottish ministers should be looking at every lever available to them to make life easier for working people.
“The greatest economic contributor to these coastal communities is the Scottish salmon sector, directly providing 2,500 local jobs – and thousands more through the supply chain.
We believe our local communities should be the ones who benefit the most”
Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott
“We are proud of the jobs and wealth we create in rural Scotland and we believe our local communities should be the ones who benefit the most.”
