Harvester, All Bar One and Toby Carvery owner axes 1,300 jobs
THE owner of Harvester, All Bar One and Toby Carvery has axed 1,300 jobs following the coronavirus crisis.
Pub operator Mitchells and Butlers said it could no longer support these roles due to lockdown restrictions on boozers across the country.
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Revealing its annual results today, Mitchells and Butlers swung into the red as it slumped to a £123million annual loss for the year.
The pub chain employs 44,000 people in around 1,700 restaurants.
The announcement comes after Mitchells and Butlers revealed earlier this month that it would close up to 20 of its pubs - but it hadn't confirmed how many jobs would go.
Harvester, All Bar One and Toby Carvery branches remain temporarily closed across England due to the on-going four-week lockdown.
Restaurant, food chain, and pub job losses
A NUMBER of high-profile restaurant, pub, and food chains have announced job cuts following the coronavirus crisis.
- Zizzi owner Azzurri Group announced in July 2020 that it would permanently shut 75 branches, putting 1,200 jobs at risk
- Frankie & Benny's owner The Restaurant Group has proposed closing 125 branches, with 3,000 jobs on the line
- Byron Burger is shutting 31 restaurants, around half of its UK sites, with 600 jobs at risk
- Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge have announced the closure of 91 restaurants, with 1,900 jobs to go
- Carluccio’s is cutting 1,000 jobs with 40 restaurants to shut
- Costa Coffee is axing 1,650 jobs - it hasn't announced any store closures at this stage
- GBK is closing 26 restaurants and making 362 workers redundant
- Greene King has shut 26 sites permanently, while a further 53 will temporarily close with their future remaining in the balance. Around 800 staff across the 79 sites are at risk of losing their jobs.
- Marston's pub chain says 2,150 staff are at risk of being made redundant or facing significantly fewer hours
- Pizza Express has confirmed it'll be closing 73 restaurants, putting 1,100 jobs at risk
- Pret a Manger is cutting 2,800 jobs with 30 stores to close
- Revolution Bars is planning to close six sites putting 130 jobs at risk
- Upper Crust plans to make 5,000 out of its 9,000-strong workforce redundant
- Wetherspoons is planning to cut 450 jobs from six pubs, as well as 130 head office roles.
- Whitbread (which owns Brewers Fayre, Premier Inn and Beefeater) is planning to cut 6,000 jobs as hotel demand slumps.
- Young's is making 500 out of 4,200 staff redundant.
Branches have been closed since November 5 and aren't expected to open again until at least December 2, although they remain open in Wales and Scotland.
Before this, pubs were asked to enforce a 10pm curfew in England from September 24. This is being increased to 11pm when pubs reopen next month.
Hospitality businesses were also forced to shut for over three months earlier this year, from March 20 until July 4, thanks to the first coronavirus lockdown.
Mitchells and Butlers said 99% of its workforce was furloughed during lockdown earlier this year.
The redundancy announcement adds to a growing number of job cuts made by pub chains in recent months.
Wetherspoon is cutting up to 450 jobs from six pubs in airports, while Revolutions Bars said it will shut six sites.
Greene King is also axing 800 jobs and closing 79 pubs, and Marston's said 2,150 staff were at risk of being made redundant or facing fewer hours.
What are my redundancy rights?
BEFORE making you unemployed, your employer should still carry out a fair redundancy process.
You are entitled to be consulted on the redundancy lay-off first and to receive a statutory redundancy payment, as long as you've been working somewhere for at least two years.
How much you're entitled to depends on your age and length of service, although this is capped at 20 years. You'll get:
- Half a week’s pay for each full year you were under 22,
- One week’s pay for each full year you were 22 or older, but under 41,
- One and half week’s pay for each full year you were 41 or older.
Sadly, you won't be entitled to a payout if you've been working for your employer for fewer than two years.
There should be a period of collective consultation as well as time for individual ones if your employer wants to make 20 or more employees redundant within 90 days or each other.
You are also entitled to appeal the decision by claiming unfair dismissal within three months of being let go.
Mitchells and Butlers told The Sun that the redundancies were made "across the business as a whole" but it couldn't say how many jobs were axed at each of its brands.1
The company warned over a "challenging and highly uncertain" future if the coronavirus pandemic isn't contained.
Phil Urban, chief executive of Mitchells and Butlers, said: "Throughout a very uncertain and challenging year our businesses and teams have adapted quickly.
"We saw direct evidence of this from a strong trading period in July and August before further restrictions came into force.
"With our great estate, balanced portfolio of brands and proven management team, we remain optimistic that we will be able to regain the momentum previously built and continue to achieve sustained market outperformance, when the current operating restrictions are eased."
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