For the 19th time, the JD Wetherspoon pubco has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top Employers, and praised for its treatment of the 41,000 or so staff retained across its vast fleet of over 800 venues, 57 of which are in Scotland.
This recognition, coming hot on the heels of company founder Tim Martin receiving a knighthood in the New Year Honours list, has reignited the perennial debate over whether Wetherspoon’s and Martin’s contribution to UK culture, and its pub trade in particular, is positive or negative.
But in terms of how it treats its workforce, there could be no disagreement that the Top Employer certification is an independently assessed plaudit, as participating organisations are subject to a rigorous analysis of their people practices by the Top Employers Institute.
Its HR Best Practices survey covers six HR domains, consisting of 20 topics across the business and employee lifecycle, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, wellbeing, and diversity & inclusion.
That survey information is then validated and audited independently by the Top Employers Institute to ensure the integrity of the processes and data.
Wetherspoon’s people director, Tom Ball, said: “We are extremely proud to be considered among the best employers in the United Kingdom, particularly as the recognition comes from an independent organisation, which researches numerous companies.
“The company employs more than 41,000 staff across its pubs in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, as well as at its head office.
“Wetherspoon is committed to offering employees the best opportunities to succeed and grow within the company, including studying for qualifications and apprenticeships,” said Ball. “This is evident in the number of staff progressing to more senior positions at Wetherspoon.”
As regards Mr Martin’s knighthood, the feeling towards the political right of the commentariat was summed up by Christopher Snowdon at The Spectator, who suggested the honour was long overdue: “His services to hospitality and culture are indisputable, but Wetherspoons is more than a successful business. It is almost a charity. No one has done more than Sir Tim to shield pubgoers from the cost-of-living crisis.”
At the other end of the political spectrum, Steven Anglesey at The New European highlighted Martin’s continuing refusal to accept that Brexit had been bad for the UK economy: “Despite his inability to discern what is staring him in the face, Martin is a clever businessman whose outlets lack joy but do provide a social space with cheap food and drink for those who might otherwise stay at home alone. He deserves some credit, too, for keeping the lights on in some remarkable buildings that otherwise might be standing empty or falling victim to cookie-cutter redevelopment.
“Whether that makes up for active participation in the destruction of the British hospitality industry, by supporting something that has made everyone poorer and seen pubs and restaurants closing at record rates because of a lack of staff from the EU, is another matter.”
