Pictured left to right: Sales consultants Lauren Cawtherley, Jessica Burnley (back), Suzanne Knowles, and Angela Harrison, from Althams Travel’s Burnley branch, with managing director Sandra McAllister
Althams Travel managers have hailed a move to a four-day working week without a cut in pay as a “game changer” for the agency chain’s staff.
They wholeheartedly welcomed the move from April 1 to create a better work-life balance for the company’s 200 staff.
Staff at the 31-branch agency will also receive a 5% pay rise from next month, the first increase in salary for two years.
The changes come as the company prepares to return to profitability this year after a loss-making two years as a result of the pandemic. The company went into the pandemic after its best year to date and has since shed its loss-making transport department.
Blackburn branch manager Andrew Pilkington said: “We are all excited and looking forward to it. We will work really hard and we will be more motivated when we are in work but on the flip side we will have more family time.
“To have more flexibility at work is a fantastic opportunity after the last two years.”
Huddersfield deputy manager Kathryn Stopford said the change was a “game-changer” for staff.
“It’s a no-brainer,” she said, adding: “It will mean a lovely work-life balance. We have a staff member with young children and this will make a big difference for her to have more time with her children and less nursery time.
“I have elderly parents and this will give me more freedom to have more quality time with them. We will make this work; when we’re at work we will do what is required and give 100%.”
In addition to the reduced weekly working hours, the agency chain has adjusted its shop hours to open at 9.30am instead of 9am and close at 5pm.
Helen Smith, manager of the Botlon branch, said she no longer needed to drop her six-year-old off at the school breakfast club before work as a result while the change in the working week would allow her to collect her daughter from school twice a week instead of just once a week.
She said: “My daughter is really excited and financially it helps as I don’t have to pay the breakfast club fee and I don’t feel guilty [about dropping her there].”
She added: “Everyone will come into work feeling more positive. We have to make it work.”
Managing director Sandra McAllister said staff were aware they may have to step up to five days when colleagues are on holiday, but will be paid overtime for the extra day.
The company also operates a “pool” system in which staff can switch between branches in their region if there are staffing issues.
McAllister insisted the company pay rise was also necessary because of the increased cost of living.
She said: “Even with our staff moving to four days it didn’t feel right we were not giving staff more money with the increase in the cost of living.
“Travel is low paid and we were getting close to the minimum wage which is appalling given the experience agents have and the job they do. We’ve not been able to increase salaries [before now] because of Covid.”