One of Barbados’ leading hotel groups, remains committed to supporting their employees amidst its temporary closure as a result of COVID-19 related protocols.
The Ocean Hotels Group which represents three boutique south coast luxury hotels; Ocean Two Resort & Residences, Sea Breeze Beach House and South Beach Resort comprises over 400 team members.
In an effort to inform, inspire and empower their staff, the group has utilised technology to not only stay in touch but also to offer helpful resources and even online training opportunities to their team. Through the Human Resources department and their acquisition of a dynamic and interactive human resources information system (HRIS), they are able to communicate important, factual updates and training details on their internal company platform.
“We are proud to be able to keep in touch with our teams in real-time despite being currently dispersed across the island” said Group General Manager- Patricia Affonso-Dass.
As another pillar of strength for their staff during this time, the Ocean Hotels management team supported by their sister company Chickmont Foods Ltd, are in the process of organising logistics for the regular distribution of complimentary poultry and eggs to team members.
Group Human Resources Manager Brittany Brathwaite identified that the news of such a tangible initiative brought much delight to the team as the small gesture would significantly serve to supplement households which are impacted in varying ways due to the virus.
“We stay dedicated to our team during these times, it is important to understand the essence of need and how to lead & support as a company in different situations” she added.
She continued: “As a company we also felt it was important that we continued to contribute to the staff’s medical plans to ensure that they remain fully covered in this time of uncertainty. Currently 60 per cent of our staff have this plan and we are happy to support them.”
Drawing on creativity and media, the group has been staying socially connected with staff through several info graphics on health & safety, COVID-19 reminders, internal videos and tips on staying at home during the current pandemic. The company LinkedIn page continues to showcase employee highlights, as they “stay connected . . .while apart” acknowledging the contribution of their staff to the success of the organisation.
Such an avenue offers the group the opportunity to feel connected while providing areas for their staff to learn, grow and enhance their personal or professional skills in preparation for changes which will arise for the local and global hospitality sector and internally when they prepare to re-integrate staff and plan ahead for the future.
“The goal is to ensure that we are staying connected to our team, supporting them personally and professionally and keeping them informed and updated so that we get through this together and are a strong, unified team when we re-open” Affonso-Dass added. (PR)
