Hotel group tells staff ‘we have to let you go’
ALARGE hotel group is letting go of hundreds of staff just weeks before Christmas, leaving employees across Devon and Cornwall desperate for work.
The Coast and Country Hotel Collection gave four weeks’ notice to its staff, some of whom had accommodation and now also have to move.
The company operates 36 hotels throughout the UK in seaside locations. The collection includes six across Devon and Cornwall alone – the Ship and Castle Hotel in St Mawes, St Ives Bay Hotel, Beresford Hotel in Newquay, Torbay Hotel, Imperial Hotel Exmouth and Tor Park Hotel in Torquay.
A former operations manager within the group, who has been let go, said that around 300 staff in total lost their jobs as a result. They have all been told they will receive a oneoff payment of up to £155 but have no idea when this will be paid.
The company did not confirm the exact number of those affected, saying only ten of those were made officially redundant while the rest of the staff were seasonal workers on fixedterm contracts – meaning they only had work for a set period of time.
In a letter addressed to staff on October 7, the general manager of the Ship and Castle Hotel said: “Further to our meeting I am sorry that we have to resort to such measures. I write to confirm that I am going to have to lay you off with effect from November 4, 2022.
“At present I am unable to say for long how (sic) but hopefully this will be a temporary measure. Business over the coming months remains very quiet and due to the lack of business the hotel will close for the winter months and because of this I do not have work for you.”
It continued: “Lay-off means that during this period we are unable to guarantee you any working hours, you will not be required to work and not receive your usual pay.” The letter goes on to say that all staff will receive up to a £155 payment at any point over the next three months, but it was not confirmed when they can expect it.
The letter concludes: “You may also be able to make a claim for benefits because of your lay-off, if you need any information from us to help with this, please let us know. I don’t know how long this period of lay-off will last but it will be kept under constant review, and you will be kept informed.”
A spokesperson for the Coast and Country Hotel Collection said: “Hospitality, as an industry, faces seasonal peaks and troughs in trade, which means, during the summer months, we take on extra staff to meet the heightened demand. Our seasonal workers are an integral part of our hotel offering, but as the season comes to an end and we move into winter, our guest numbers fall and we subsequently have reduced requirement for staff.
“The consequence of this is that we have to reduce our seasonal workforce to maintain viability. The additional staff we employ over the summer months are aware they are on fixed-term contracts, and everything has been done in accordance with the relevant HR frameworks – with affected staff offered CV support.
“Wherever possible, though, we relocate staff to other hotels within the collection,”