Leger Shearings Group has come to the rescue of staff at Peakes Travel Elite, who faced reduced hours and pay after the end of the furlough scheme.
The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme came to an end this week despite repeated calls by the travel sector for it to be extended amid fears of widespread redundancies.
The coach holiday specialist’s chief executive Liam Race read an article in The Sunday Times about the Shrewsbury travel agency and the “despair” of Peakes’ managing director, Claire Moore, ahead of the end of the furlough scheme.
Moore had had to make seven staff redundant amid the pandemic but the furlough scheme had meant she could have the remaining four agents on flexi furlough.
However, the furlough scheme ended on September 30, so from October 1, Moore said she would only be able to employ her team on 75% pay and would shorten her travel agency’s opening hours to 10am-4pm.
Meanwhile, Rotherham-based Leger Shearings was able to make an earlier recovery thanks to its portfolio of escorted coach tour holidays in the UK.
Business has boomed but said it has “suffered from a staff shortage”.
An agreement has been made for Leger Shearings Group to sub-contract Peakes Travel Elite’s travel consultants to work remotely for the company, making up their reduced salaries and hours worked to the full rate.
More: Holidaysplease offers to help struggling agents by ‘borrowing’ staff
The staff remain employed at Peakes Travel and will work most of their time for Moore in the peak selling periods. In the quieter times during the day on agreed set hours, the staff will work for Leger Shearings on the phones, making up the remaining 25% of their hours.
Race said: “We’re really pleased to help the Peakes Travel Elite’s team retain their full salaries but I must say the agreement is mutually beneficial.
“Shearings will benefit from having experienced travel consultants, already familiar with our holidays, joining our team at a time when we were in danger of being overwhelmed.
“We’ve increased our product to meet demand but need more hands on deck to handle the increased bookings and customer service workload, which is set to get even busier as we resume our European escorted coach holidays.”
Moore, who has highlighted the plight of the travel industry throughout the pandemic, said: “Furlough was about to come to an end just at the point that sales traditionally slow down until the New Year bookings boom.
“I am very grateful to the Leger Shearings Group; it really means the world to ensure my team can continue to receive their full salaries.
“They have always been our greatest asset, particularly so through the past 18 months and I am delighted that Leger Holidays and Shearings can benefit from their experience.
“The travel industry has many wonderful people and companies and this collaboration is testament to both.”
The scheme echoes an initiative announced by Holidaysplease, which is offering struggling travel agencies the opportunity to ‘lend’ their staff to the homeworking firm to avoid them being made redundant and leaving the travel industry.
Pictured from left at Peakes: Claire Moore, Sarah Cooper and Sue Kinton.