Premier Inn owner announces plans to cut up to 6,000 jobs due to Covid blow
Premier Inn owner Whitbread plans to cut up to 6,000 jobs as pandemic hits demand
Whitbread says forecasts of weaker demand has led to its decision to cut 18 per cent of its workforce as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the hospitality industry.
The owner of the Premier Inn chain of hotels, Beef eater pub sand Brewers Fay re restaurants, has announced plans to cut up to 6,000 jobs across the UK.
The firm is hoping a “significant prop or tion” of the job cuts will be made through voluntary redundancy and
lowered contracted hours for some staff.
Whitbread said the plans come as demand is set to remain subdued in the short to medium term and with the UK Government’ s furlough scheme coming to an end next month. The job losses also come on top of cuts to reduce its head office workforce by up to a fifth, impacting around 150 jobs.
Alison Brittain, chief executive of Whitbread, said: “With demand for travel remaining subdued, we are now having to make some very difficult decisions, and it is with great regret that today we are announcing our intention to enter into a consultation process that could result in up to 6,000 redundancies in the UK.”
Whitbread expects the jobs to go by the end of the year, although it is not known at this stage which venues may be affected by the cuts.