Workers at an engineering firm were celebrating today after being given a £1,000 boost to help them deal with soaring bills. Fletcher Moorland bosses said the company had grown over the past two years and they wanted to show their appreciation.
Its managing director, Matt Fletcher, said the move came as prices rocketed for everything from energy to fuel. Speaking after the announcement to staff he said: "Because of the nature of our work we are in the fortunate position to have seen some strong growth over the past two years – despite covid.
"We have taken on 18 new staff since the start of the pandemic because of the demand we have seen from the renewable energy and electric vehicle sectors. Everybody has worked really hard.
"But we would have had to have been living under a rock to not notice what is going on with the cost of living at the moment We can't do anything about rising fuel and gas prices but we can do something to help our employees deal it with it."
Matt told Stoke on Trent Live : "Our staff are on good wages here because it's skilled work, but the management team decided we wanted to give them something extra to show our appreciation and help with some of the rising costs. When we told them the room went silent, then they gave us a standing ovation.
"We pay for the staff party at Christmas and we offer very good basic pay and overtime rates but this is the first time we have given our staff a bonus like this."
The Stoke-on-Trent engineering firm – which specialises in industrial parts repairs – says all 86 employees will receive the bonus in coming months, meaning it will pay out £86,000. Staff at the company say the money will 'really help'.
Electromechanical engineer Ian Hunt, aged 34, of Shavington, said: "When we were told that we would be getting this money I was amazed. We had a baby girl, called Amber, nine weeks ago and my Mrs is on maternity leave so it will really help towards the cost of nappies and things like that."
John Roe, 46, who lives in Hanley, is a maintenance engineer. He said: "I recently moved into a new house and the bills were a bit higher than expected but now everything is sky-rocketing, even the cost of a weekly shop, so this is really going to help. I haven't heard of many companies doing this, so hats off to Fletcher Moorland – and thank you to the management team."
Earlier this month, StokeonTrentLive reported how Emerys Timber and Builders Merchants, which has branches in Cliffe Vale and Telford, paid out more than £45,000 to staff after awarding its 60 employees a £750 bonus.
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