Businesses looking for an alternative to the traditional Christmas office party this year are being invited to give their staff vouchers and take up other offers to support the local hospitality sector.
With restrictions on numbers and the type of entertainment allowed at venues because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Jersey Hospitality Association (JHA) is asking businesses who would normally organise celebrations for their staff to consider giving them vouchers in addition to any other plans for the festive season.
The offers range from meals in restaurants and nights in hotels, to outdoor adventure and would be a way to support hospitality and tourism businesses and reward their staff after a difficult year. The sector has suffered this year because of the restrictions on visitors and with cases rising within the island, the government is advising islanders not to meet in large groups for social occasions.
JHA Committee member Fiona Kerley said: “With many companies already working from home it’s unlikely they will be planning to organise a traditional Christmas party. But there are opportunities for businesses, especially those with large numbers of staff, to give something back to them as a reward for all their hard work while supporting hospitality businesses at the same time. That’s why we feel it’s right to suggest that instead of a Christmas function this year they give their teams a gift voucher instead”.
Simon Soar (main picture), the Chief Executive of the JHA said: “This has been a devastating year for trading in our sector, and while we have received financial support from the Government, we only had a fraction of the visitors we would normally rely on. We are conscious that it has also been a painful year for other sections of the economy, and this gives corporate businesses an opportunity to offer vouchers to their staff as a reward after a difficult year”.
