Owners of two remote luxury hotel restaurants have pledged to provide staff living locally with an allowance of £2,000 to help them with the spiralling cost of living.
The new benefit scheme launched by the Wee Hotel Company will help employees in Skye and Argyll who don’t stay in supported staff accommodation to tackle the effects of fast-rising utility and living costs.
The “living out allowance” will be available to local employees of the Three Chimneys on Skye and the Pierhouse at Port Appin from April.
We are delighted to be included in the MICHELIN Guide for 2022. Well done to Head Chef Scott and his team and a big thank you to our suppliers for such high quality local produce.#threechimneysskye pic.twitter.com/FsGEV56fqC
— TheThreeChimneysSkye (@3_Chimneys) February 23, 2022
This coincides with when households face significant rises in energy bills – particularly in the north of Scotland – as well as an increase in National Insurance payments.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is also fuelling inflation fears which was already at a 30-year high before the hostilities commenced.
While the West contends with how to support the people of Ukraine who are being forced to flight or flee, the war is also causing the cost of petrol and diesel to spiral to record highs, as well as affecting the price of household staples such as wheat.
The company, founded by hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray, currently employs over 70 people across its two venues.
Under the terms of the allowance, full-time team members are eligible to receive payment of £2,000 per year paid monthly, and those on hourly contracts will be paid an extra £1 per hour.
Times are tough
Recently, hotels across the north of Scotland were urged to improve staff pay and conditions in an effort to overcome the persistent staff recruitment crisis caused by a “perfect storm” of the pandemic and Brexit.
Fiona McLean, general manager at the Pierhouse, which is on the shores of Loch Linnhe with views to the islands of Lismore and Mull, said the payment also recognised those who have worked through the difficulties of the pandemic.
She said: “We know times are tough for our team members.
“As a result, we’re making this new allowance available to eligible employees, which we hope will go some way in supporting them through this difficult period but also recognising their hard work, dedication and patience throughout the last two years.”
The bonus is also an incentive to attract more young people to the industry, particularly in rural locations which can struggle to retain employees.
What a beautiful spring day we had here on the pier. Long may it continue #pierhouseperfect pic.twitter.com/DqgwWIyRrt
— The Pierhouse Hotel (@pierhousehotel) March 5, 2022
Krzysztof Dudkowski, general manager at the Three Chimneys, a renowned restaurant which also offers six bedrooms in an adjacent property, said the group had recently invested in providing accommodation for staff from off-island, but would now also focus on workers already resident in the area.
He said: “We have invested heavily in our staff accommodation over the last two years purchasing great houses in beautiful locations for our live-in team members.
“Now is the time to support our colleagues living out locally.
“It is more important than ever that we get the message out there, especially to young people, that working in Scottish hospitality in remote, coastal locations like ours can be highly fulfilling and rewarding.”
