Holidaysplease launches agent job retention scheme
Will PayneTravel agencies facing the possibility of making staff redundant due to the ending of furlough support have been offered a lifeline by homeworking agency Holidaysplease.
The company said it would employ travel staff who face losing their jobs on a short-term contract under its own brand during the winter months until cash flow returns to a stable level.
Once the agencies have the capacity to retain their agents, the "borrowed" staff will have the option to return.
Holidaysplease has also waived its usual £387 joining fee for experienced agents who have already lost their job.
To be eligible for the new scheme, potential candidates must have a minimum of three years’ experience in a travel sales role with at least £250,000 worth of sales during each year.
The agency which staff come from retains the agent on their existing terms of employment and contracts them out to Holidaysplease, which will pay the host agency £10 an hour for each hour the employee works.
Holidaysplease will also offer the staff member at least the same number of hours they usually work for, unless more or less is agreed by all parties. The agency will also set targets for the new employees.
The arrangement can be cancelled at any time if targets are not being met, but if staff achieve the criteria then the scheme will last for a six-month period whereupon all parties can decide whether to continue with the arrangement or the staff member returns to their original company.
If agencies want to take their employees back before the six-month period, then they can do so free of charge if the staff member has generated more profit than they have cost for Holidaysplease in that period. If not, then the business will have to make good of any shortfall.
Holidaysplease is also considering a move to hire teams of people if they wish to continue to work as a collective.
Director Richard Dixon said the initiative has been implemented to "help the industry to avoid the brain drain" and do "something positive".
Interested parties can email cat.reeves@holidaysplease.com for more information.
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