From Daniel Jack, Co-Founder & Director, Jack’s Alt-Stays
Two years ago, my cousin Adam and I set out to shake up Scotland’s accommodation game.
We knew there was an opportunity for an accommodation experience like no other, so we created Jack’s Alt-Stays; what we call ‘the next generation of tourist accommodation in Scotland’. Part of this was committing to supporting our employees, and we are proud to have paid at or above the real Living Wage rate since day one, even before we secured our accreditation in January 2024.
Located just off the Ayrshire Coast on the small, scenic Isle of Cumbrae, Jack’s consists of five uniquely themed cabins, each with their own wood-fired hot tub. Since launch we’ve delivered thousands of one-of-a-kind accommodation experiences, securing consistently 5-star guest reviews and several tourism awards.
We’ve built a cracking wee team of eight, consisting of Largs family members, Millport locals and Ukrainians hosted in Millport. They’re the ones who keep our standards top, and guest experience spot on every day.
In the words of the RLW (real Living Wage movement), “a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay”. Committing to accreditation is our way of showing our genuine appreciation for the great work the team do.
Through speaking with the team about how they feel about the RLW, I’ve learned that choosing to pay more than is legally required makes them feel valued and fairly rewarded for their efforts. The team genuinely care about their job, often going above and beyond. It’s clear that a content team makes for great guest experiences.
Based on employee and customer feedback, and as one of the only accredited employers in our location, we strongly encourage other local tourism employers to join the movement. It’s the right thing to do, not only for the business and team, but for the wider local economy too.
Beyond paying the RLW, we ensure fair work practices, team treats and events, and not least, simply create a warm, welcoming, relaxed and inclusive working environment for everyone.
With our hot tub cabins’ all-seasons appeal, in an otherwise quite seasonal destination, we run at an average of 90% occupancy throughout the year, so we’re able to provide this fairly paid work 12 months of the year. The team feel assured of stable and secure employment, with no need to worry about losing their job at the end of the tourist season, and genuinely look forward to coming into work each day.
As a result, we haven’t lost one team member to another job. For the business, achieving team retention like this retains tacit knowledge and overcomes the challenge of in-season hiring from the limited local pool.
Having recently celebrated two years of unforgettable travel experiences in Millport, we’ve been doing a lot of reflection on how far we’ve come, how we’re doing now, and looking forward to what’s in store for the family business in the future. This year, we’re turning five cabins into eight, and we very much look forward to creating another three year-round, RLW jobs for local people.
We’ve had incredible support from government agencies throughout our start-up and now into our first step of growth. While in the early stages, we felt being a RLW-accredited employer would increase our chances of support, in recent opportunities this has become a fundamental requirement for support, which is great, ensuring only businesses with good values and fair practices are able to receive state support.
At the end of the day, people work to earn a decent living. As a small family business employing people in a rural, tourism-dependant island community during a cost-of-living crisis, if we can even slightly improve their quality of life by providing a good level of flexible hours, year-round, at a fair rate that works for both the team and the business, then I’d say that’s an all-round good result.