More effort needed on final salary pensions

The Government must work harder to persuade small and medium-sized businesses in the food and leisure sector to offer staff final salary pension schemes, delegates at a conference organised by the GMB union heard last week.

Such schemes can help to recruit and retain good staff, but many employers are now scrapping them, arguing that they cost too much.

The food and leisure conference, held in Scarborough, attracted delegates from across the industry, including the Thistle and Jarvis hotel groups.

In an industry dominated at the lower echelons by women and young men, it was suggested that more emphasis needed to be put on flexible working opportunities.

And, delegates were told, managers should do more to monitor and tackle the high noise levels often experienced by staff working in kitchens and bars.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 20-26 June 2002