Four day working week reaches UK hospitality as iconic Landmark London hotel puts chefs on more pay for less time
The Landmark London hotel has become the first major hospitality company in the UK to embrace the four day working week trend, telling City PM that its chefs will shave off one day a week from February without losing any of their pay.
In fact, the five star Grand Dame hotel said its chefs will receive a pay hike while their working week is cut by one day.
The scheme has been devised by Executive Head Chef Gary Klaner as part of the hotel’s ambition to deliver a better work/life balance for chefs and improve the working environment in hospitality industry kitchens, the company said.
“The creative change in workdays will relieve some of the current pressure the team is under which is something they are very excited about and engaged with,” Klaner wrote in an email to City PM
“It shows The Landmark London’s serious investment in our employees and the commitment to providing a healthy worklife balance for them,” he added.
The scheme will start in The Landmark London’s Winter Garden Restaurant. If successful, it will be rolled out to the hotel’s other kitchens, including the Great Central Bar and the Hub, the newly opened staff restaurant, “depending on its success,” the company said.
“Along with a four day week, the scheme will also increase pay for chefs across the hotel in recognition of the hours they work,” the Landmark wrote.
“Productivity will be maintained through a recruitment drive in January and February, which will increase the number of kitchen staff that the hotel employs,” the hotel clarified.