Scottish hospitality group, Signature, has launched a new staff hardship loan initiative to help support employees who have been badly affected by the Covid pandemic over the festive period.
Signature Group, which employs over 580 people at over 20 venues across Scotland, would usually experience its busiest time of year over Christmas and Hogmanay, but staff hours, pay and tips have all taken a significant hit for many in December and January due to ongoing Covid restrictions for the hospitality industry.
Signature is now rolling out its hardship loans to eligible, hourly-paid employees across its portfolio of bars, restaurants and hotels in Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Bridge of Allan and Aberdeen, including the iconic Cold Town House in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.
The interest-free loans of up to £500 per person are being made available to those staff worst affected by the restrictions to help boost income during the quieter start to the year.
Louise MacLean, Business Development Director for Edinburgh-based Signature Group, said, “January is never an easy month financially and we recognise that January 2022 is going to be particularly tough on the back of a December where, for many, hours, pay and tips did not reach levels of previous years due to Covid restrictions.
“As a result, we’re making interest free hardship loans, of up to £500, available to eligible employees across all our venues around Scotland for the first time.
“We hope this new initiative will go some way to supporting those who need it most during one of the most challenging times for our industry.
“It’s more important than ever that we get the message out there that young people within Scotland have the opportunity to play an important role in helping the struggling hospitality sector get back on its feet after the damaging impact of the pandemic. Employing committed, talented and enthusiastic staff will be an important part of that process.”
Signature is also launching its first junior management development programme in 2022. The programme is all about harbouring talent and enhancing employee skills to allow people to become future leaders in the Signature Group.
The 12-week programme will include a mixture of classroom learning and interactive workshops where employees will gain knowledge and practical skills around leadership, coaching, human resources training, finance and the day-to-day running of a venue.
It is hoped that the programme will be provide a solid platform to develop future managers across the Signature Group.
For more information about Signature Group and a full list of venues around Scotland, visit: https://signaturepubs.co.uk/venues/