July 4, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier
Hot on the heels of Marriott’s announcement last week, boutique hotel operator Ovolo Hotels has also announced it will be doling out the Fair Work Commission’s mandated 4.6 per cent pay rise to its staff three months early.
Ovolo, which has seven designer properties, seven restaurants and a significant patch of event space around Australia, including in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, passed on the increase to all of its employees on award wages on Friday, ahead of the October 1 deadline for the rise.
“We’re all about Shiny Happy People,” said CEO of Ovolo Hotels Dave Baswal.
“Hospitality is a people business; we are nothing without our team – they are our biggest asset – so it is only right to pass this increase onto them as soon as possible.
“This will ensure our team are looked after in what are still tough times for many of them – it provides a sense of stability and security.
“At Ovolo we aim to be a force for good on every level, from our individuals to our communities and beyond.
“We believe if a business or an industry has the financial capability to act on the recent Fair Work Commission’s mandated wage increase for award workers, then we absolutely need to pass that onto our people with almost immediate effect,” he said.
Ovolo Woolloomooloo and Ovolo The Valley boast the largest footprints of event space for the hotel brand in Australia, able to host up to 400 and 300 in the largest spaces respectively. There are around 40 event spaces for four people to 400 delegates at Ovolo’s hotels around the country.