[UK] Prezzo staff get pay rise and Boxing Day off amid recruitment crisis

Restaurant chain Prezzo has announced it will give its staff a pay rise in October and close all of its branches for Boxing Day, BBC News reports.

In the announcement, Prezzo said all 2,500 of its staff would see their wages go up by an average of 4 per cent.

The Italian-themed restaurant chain is the latest business to announce such a move as the sector works hard to retain workers and attract new staff amid a recruitment crisis.

Prezzo also said it had introduced development plans to "encourage" people to pursue careers with the company. "As a result of the increases, every Prezzo team member will be paid above the national minimum wage," a statement said.

The plan will also see some manager’s wages increased by an average of 5 per cent.

There have been similar announcements from several other firms as businesses throughout the hospitality sector and beyond try to retain staff and recruit new workers with better pay and perks.

Last week, Asian food chain Itsu reportedly announced it was giving all in-store workers an 11 per cent wage increase, while coffee chain Costa committed to a 5 per cent pay rise for 14,500 staff working at its company-owned stores in the UK.

Retailers Ocado, Aldi and Waitrose have all increased lorry driver wages and Tesco has offered £1,000 joining bonuses.

Karen Jones - executive chairwoman of Prezzo - said, "Every part of the industry has felt the strain and at the front line stand our wonderful teams, front and back of house, of whom we are so proud.

"Making sure we get pay right is a prerequisite; ensuring our Prezzo people feel valued and cared for is equally as important."

Job vacancies across the country have hit record highs as the economy continues to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitality sector has 134,000 vacancies, with many businesses reporting that positions are hard to fill.

Industry bodies report that one in five workers has left the sector during the pandemic and Brexit is often blamed for exacerbating the situation.

However, some in the sector have said the perceived culture of the hospitality industry itself could be contributing to the staffing problem; with the notion of very long working hours and low wages putting off applicants and motivating existing staff to leave.

A new report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) called on the government to take action to reduce the burden that business rates place on retailers.

It said to do so would help to "unlock the industry's potential to support the economic recovery from the pandemic, ensuring that retail remains a provider of quality jobs and an important contributor to tax revenues for years to come".

Restaurant chain Prezzo has announced it will give its staff a pay rise in October and close all of its branches for Boxing Day, BBC News reports.

In the announcement, Prezzo said all 2,500 of its staff would see their wages go up by an average of 4 per cent.

The Italian-themed restaurant chain is the latest business to announce such a move as the sector works hard to retain workers and attract new staff amid a recruitment crisis.

Prezzo also said it had introduced development plans to "encourage" people to pursue careers with the company. "As a result of the increases, every Prezzo team member will be paid above the national minimum wage," a statement said.

The plan will also see some manager’s wages increased by an average of 5 per cent.

There have been similar announcements from several other firms as businesses throughout the hospitality sector and beyond try to retain staff and recruit new workers with better pay and perks.

Last week, Asian food chain Itsu reportedly announced it was giving all in-store workers an 11 per cent wage increase, while coffee chain Costa committed to a 5 per cent pay rise for 14,500 staff working at its company-owned stores in the UK.

Retailers Ocado, Aldi and Waitrose have all increased lorry driver wages and Tesco has offered £1,000 joining bonuses.

Karen Jones - executive chairwoman of Prezzo - said, "Every part of the industry has felt the strain and at the front line stand our wonderful teams, front and back of house, of whom we are so proud.

"Making sure we get pay right is a prerequisite; ensuring our Prezzo people feel valued and cared for is equally as important."

Job vacancies across the country have hit record highs as the economy continues to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitality sector has 134,000 vacancies, with many businesses reporting that positions are hard to fill.

Industry bodies report that one in five workers has left the sector during the pandemic and Brexit is often blamed for exacerbating the situation.

However, some in the sector have said the perceived culture of the hospitality industry itself could be contributing to the staffing problem; with the notion of very long working hours and low wages putting off applicants and motivating existing staff to leave.

A new report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) called on the government to take action to reduce the burden that business rates place on retailers.

It said to do so would help to "unlock the industry's potential to support the economic recovery from the pandemic, ensuring that retail remains a provider of quality jobs and an important contributor to tax revenues for years to come".