Roadchef believes in acknowledging the loyalty and ongoing contribution of its employees through a structured recognition programme.
The motorway and trunk road service area operator, which has 31 locations across the country, including 17 hotels through a partnership with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, employs more than 3,000 members of staff.
Its long-service recognition scheme combines internal rewards with formal, public recognition, to ensure employees feel valued for their service. Each milestone, starting from five years of service through to 50 years, is celebrated at employees’ local service station, with involvement from their colleagues and leadership.
When staff reach these milestones, they are formally acknowledged through a special ceremony, where they receive a commemorative award and certificate. This can include a personal gesture, such as a bouquet of flowers presented by the organisation’s chief executive officer. These celebrations typically take place in the presence of employees, often during team gatherings, to honour the worker’s journey and contributions.
In addition to this, employees are also awarded a financial reward of up to £3,000, depending on their length of service, beginning with £100 after five years.
Laura Bunn, human resources director at Roadchef, explains: “At Roadchef, we place great importance on meaningful recognition and celebrating the dedication of our people throughout their careers. As part of our ongoing efforts to support employees’ financial wellbeing, we enhanced our long-service award process. Working in partnership with PayCaptain, we ensure that the team members receive immediate access to their long-service award on the anniversary of their service milestone.”
Long-service and recognition schemes are important to the organisation because they demonstrate its commitment to valuing long-term relationships with its people and contribute to its retention strategy within a competitive hospitality market.
They also help preserve institutional knowledge and support its culture of experienced team members mentoring newer employees, says Bunn.
“Acknowledging dedicated service creates meaningful experiences that our team members truly appreciate. These celebrations create powerful storytelling moments that strengthen our internal community. When we recognise someone who has dedicated 25 or 35 years to serving our customers, it reinforces our values and shows every team member that their contribution truly matters over the long-term. This sense of value and belonging is more important than ever in today’s employment landscape,” she adds.
