Hotel company ditches zero hours contracts
APARTHOTELS developer and operator Signature Living says it is to end zero hour contracts.
The Liverpool company founded and run by Lawrence Kenwright said it is to offer a minimum of 16 hours’ work to the 10% of its 440 staff which are currently on flexible contracts.
Kenwright, who is planning European expansion for his so-far predominantly Merseyside-based company, told the Liverpool Echo the scrapping of the zero hour contracts would offer greater security and stability to current and future employees.
“We want to provide security and stability in work for all employees by offering a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours work per week,” said Kenwright, a relative of Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
“From today, all future Signature Living employees will be employed with the certainty that they have these set hours.
“This is a positive move by us and is completely contrary to the flexible employment practices that are usually associated with the hospitality industry.
“We are doing this because we believe in our people and want to invest in them.
“Unlike other hospitality companies, Signature Living strives to provide security in work for employees.
“There is no legal requirement for us to do this and currently less than 10% of the workforce is employed on flexible contracts, but we think it is right to give people a minimum guarantee of work.”
In January this year the firm announced ambitious plans to recruit 600 employees during the course of 2016.
The jobs will be across sectors including construction, hospitality, leisure services, digital, design and head office administration, and will be spread across the company’s existing portfolio and new developments, including Daniel House, the Shankly Hotel, Eden, and 60 Old Hall Street, as well as other locations the company has identified across Merseyside and throughout the UK.
