Major North East employer Hays Travel will pay an employee’s mortgage and utility bills for six months as part of a staff motivation initiative.
The Sunderland company last month launched the Big Hays Travel Thank You initiative, as a way to create excitement within the industry as well as rewarding staff. The initiative will see all employees across the business entered into a prize draw once a month to win some amazing prizes.
Last month, Richard Farmer from the Wombwell branch, South Yorkshire, won a new car - a Hyundai i10 SE Connect - while this month’s winner is Rachel Lovstad who has won a cruise of her choice worth up to £5,000. Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agent and has operated from its base in Sunderland for 41 years.
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In 2019 the company acquired the former Thomas Cook retail portfolio and it now has around 460 shops around the UK, and a workforce of more than 5,000 people.
Dame Irene Hays said: “Our first ‘Big Hays Travel Thank You’ was a huge success. We’re delighted to be awarding this month’s £5,000 cruise to continue to say thank you to all our colleagues for their hard work.
“We have really been working hard to recognise the contribution of everyone working in the business. We know how all of our people are so focused on giving the best service to our customers and in the case of head office supporting everyone else. We wanted to create a sense of excitement and just bring back a bit of fun.”
Jane Schumm, who awarded this month’s prize to Ms Lovstad, said: “It is a great fun thing to do for our people. It’s a bit of excitement during a challenging time in travel.”
Ms Lovstad, who has worked in the recruitment team in Hays Travel head office in Sunderland for almost a year, said: “I can’t believe it, I am over the moon! We have some big birthdays in the family in the next few years so a cruise would be the perfect way to celebrate.”
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