The Scarlet and the Bedruthan Hotel and Spa, have announced they’ve become a Real Living Wage Employer from 1st June 2021.
The Independent Cornish hotels, the Scarlet and Bedruthan, have long been trail blazers in the hospitality industry. Their pioneering commitment to their team and the environment has always been core to everything they do. Known for being an ethical and sustainable brand, becoming a Real Living Wage Employer has been a three-year journey, but it comes as no surprise that they are the first hotel group to pledge their commitment to offering this to their valued employees when they need it most.
The Real Living Wage is an independently-calculated rate that ensures workers can meet the cost of living and earn enough to support themselves and their families. It goes beyond the government’s Minimum Wage. The Real Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the Scarlet and Bedruthan receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.50 regardless of their age. This rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £8.91 per hour and this change will positively affect over 100 of their hourly paid team with further salary reviews in September for the remaining team. This significant investment is only part of a new approach to become one of the UK’s most respected brands.
The hotels feel now more than ever that this positive investment will encourage others to consider and follow their lead.
The hospitality industry has traditionally been a low paying sector coupled with high operating costs, this combined with the current ongoing recruitment challenges partly due to the pandemic, Brexit and severe lack of affordable accommodation and housing in the Southwest is something that doesn’t sit well with the owner Emma Stratton.
With the welcome return of opening, a busy year ahead and evidence of the hardship faced by their employees and their families, as a conscious employer, they could no longer not take this action.
Owner of the Scarlet and Bedruthan, Emma Stratton said, “Employee hardship is not seasonal, the impact is longer term and we believe paying well should be the foundation of our business not a short-term fix to the current challenges faced in recruitment by the hospitality industry. Seasonal bonuses or temporarily inflated rates of pay do not provide any longevity of financial and job security.”
Now more than ever it makes good business sense to invest in paying the Real Living Wage to ensure that team members come to work feeling motivated and focused rather than worrying about making ends meet. Providing a good standard of living enables employees to be amazing at what they do and the Scarlet and Bedruthan hotels see it as an investment in the long-term sustainability of the businesses. It’s a conscious decision to do the right thing. The long-term benefit will be to create a team of world class hoteliers who deliver the best service in the business, through teamwork and looking after their team beyond the hotel doors. 
‘It is as much about our people as it is our focus on sustainability. We want our guests to make a conscious choice about where they stay and actively support brands on a local and national level that demonstrate their ethical practices. We firmly believe that our guests are ‘Conscious Consumers’ and this will resonate with them.’ Said Emma Stratton
Offering the Real Living Wage allows guests, who travel with a conscience, to know their custom is giving proper futures to the team and providing leadership to the hospitality sector. The brand naturally attracts guests who understand their vision as an ethical and sustainable group. The hotels will ensure they extend their message to their guests, who they refer to as the ‘Conscious Consumer’, reassuring them that not only are they staying green they are also supporting the future of their employees.
Emma concluded “We want to be transparent, ethical, and diligent about the care of our employees. Investing in talented, skilled people who bring their passion and motivation to work just makes sense. We see this as a hugely important investment in ensuring the stability of our business and recognising the importance of our team, which is our most valuable asset. It’s something that should be high on every business agenda regardless of sector and we hope we can demonstrate that it is possible to deliver even in the most challenging of circumstances. This is after the start of a long-term investment”
