Roadchef, the motorway service area (MSA) operator which counts 31 sites in its portfolio and employs over 4,000 people, has been recognised for its innovative staff incentives with a top-level accreditation.
The firm has been granted three-star status by Best Companies to Work For, which profiles employers and provides accreditation to firms that put a strong focus on employee benefits and workplace engagement.
The MSA company achieved one-star status in 2021, gained another star in 2024 and is now in possession of the full set of three stars. The firm also holds ‘Platinum’ status from Investors in People (IIP), an achievement managed by just six per cent of the 50,000 companies registered with that scheme.
Among the incentives offered to Roadchef staff are breakfast clubs and heavily subsidised meals for employees, as well as community pantries. From a financial perspective the firm offers interest-free hardship loans and allows employees to draw down on earned wages ahead of pay day, while also offering a series of comprehensive recognition programs. Some 65% of Roadchef first-line managers, meanwhile, are promoted from within the company.
Roadchef has gained more than just gongs thanks to these initiatives, though: around half of all employees have been with the firm for two years or more, while end-of-year staff turnover figures stand at less than 40%, low for retail and hospitality; figures from the the British Retail Consortium put retail turnover at an average of over 50%, compared to 15% for all industries.
Peter Cossar, Roadchef’s operations director said the firm’s employees are “the foundation of our business”, adding that achieving three-star status with Best Companies to Work For is “a testament to the collaboration of every Roadchef team member” and marks “one of the proudest moments in my career”.
Laura Bunn, HR director, echoed these sentiments, saying people “are at the heart of everything we do”, and that she “couldn’t be prouder”. Best Companies said Roadchef is “a leading light” in the sector.
