Hospitality staff offered work in other sectors

Friday 20 March 2020

Hospitality industry staff are being offered temporary work in other sectors so that they don't lose their jobs as businesses scale back their operations in response to the covid-19 pandemic.

Local recruitment agency GR8 is working with Jersey Hospitality Association (JHA) to support employees who may be facing redundancy by finding them roles elsewhere so that they can remain in the island and return to their business once the crisis is over.

Temporary employment contracts have been drawn up and are ready to use and the JHA is urging employers who need vacancies to be filled while staff are in self-isolation to get in touch, even if only a few hours are needed.

“GR8 are going above and beyond to help our industry with this creative solution and they are doing this at cost," Simon Soar, Chief Executive of the JHA, said.

Pictured: Simon Soar, Chief Executive of the JHA.

"This could make the difference between a hospitality business being able to re-open once this crisis has passed or whether it has to close for good. We are at the stage where some businesses are having to make that choice.

“I am encouraging anyone who needs people to meet any gaps while their staff are self-isolating or have to look after their families to get in touch, even if it’s only for a few hours. It’s 75 years since the island last faced such a serious crisis and I hope Islanders haven’t forgotten what it is to be a community that looks out for each other.”

Sandpiper CI have requested staff for their outlets with 45 jobs in Jersey and 25 in Guernsey needing to be filled, while Waitrose and other major retailers and wholesalers are also working with GR8 to provide temporary employment solutions.

GR8 says that it has received 20 registrations in the last 24 hours alone, with eight roles already secured starting tomorrow and an additional 63 available for immediate start across both islands. They anticipate that more than 100 roles will be published in the coming days.

Pictured: Randalls staff are being redeployed at Alliance supermarkets.

Businesses who need staff are being asked to contact GR8 directly by emailing info@gr8jersey.com or calling 488788.

Meanwhile, one of the Channel Islands' largest pub chains Randalls has teamed up with Alliance - the group that operates the Tesco stores in Jersey and Guernsey - to secure staff jobs.

A number of Randalls employees are now working as extra "hands on deck" at the supermarkets, as Alliance explained: "These employees are a grateful addition to the Alliance team during this difficult period and allows Alliance to temporarily have access to resource that can’t currently be used within Randalls... We would ask customers that they are patient whilst the team learn the ropes and also show them the respect that is already given to their other employees."