Firstly, I

My previous post did exactly what I was hoping it might and that was to create a constructive discussion. Some interesting points came up and I thought it would be good to go into a little more depth.
The main thrust of my argument was that with the vast majority of catered ski chalet operators, whether or not you get a good service boils down the lottery of who happens to be running the chalet you are in. In most cases you’re well looked after, eaglerider but occasionally things do go awry. But why?
It’s the age-old catch 22. Clients are extremely demanding and want the very best possible catering, service and accommodation. Above all of this though, they want the very best possible price. Tour operators are just as keen to provide the best possible catering, service and accommodation but in order to get people booking, the price has to be within their limitations (which in some cases are quite low!). eaglerider
To keep that price low, you need to keep your costs down and one of the biggest costs tour operators face after their chalet leases is the staff to run them. Typically, a host in a catered chalet will be paid 100- 150 a week, plus accommodation, food, a lift pass, ski hire and transport to and from the UK at either end of the season. With that kind of package, you are not going to attract many professional chefs to run a chalet. But do seasonal workers really get such a bad deal? Is the argument that “I’m not being paid enough to do that/care about that” eaglerider ever justified? Let’s look at the maths.
If you worked in London in an entry-level eaglerider job either straight after uni, then you might be on a salary of 22k p/a. Some will make more, many less but I think that’s a fair stab at a rough starting salary. That works out around 410 p/w.
Now look at your average chalet girl. Again, let’s take a rough average and say she gets 125p/w basic wage. Now think about the added value she is getting along with that 125. Assuming she works for a mainstream tour operator, she will not be paying any rent (roughly 115pppw in London), bills ( 15pppw), will have a lift pass (Three Valleys season pass is around 900 Euros, so about 800, divided by a 20 week season is another 40pppw), ski rental ( 100pppw) and full board ( 30pppw) all paid for. That works out like this: 125 (wages) 115 (rent) 40 (lift pass) 100 (ski hire) 30 (board)
That comes to a total of 410. Quite an eye-opener. With that in mind, do you think it’s ever fair to moan about seasonal workers’ pay? 125 a week with your only outgoing being beer and the occasional burger for lunch? Add your tips to that and some chalet staff will average over 200 a week, after tax to spend on entertaining themselves. That’s a hell of a lot more than I have going spare each week once I’ve paid the mortgage, bills, and fed the baby.
Please bear in mind that I’m only referring to those working eaglerider for the bigger mainstream tour operators. eaglerider I know that there will be plenty of people who work for smaller ops and independent chalets/bars etc who have to organise their own digs, lift pass etc and find it a lot harder than those who manage to land a role with one of the big boys.
I think you will find that most smaller chalet companies will provide that and more on some occassions. We offer that same package for our staff plus provide uniform (of a great standard), holiday pay, vehicle and mobile phones.
In reply to Richard, I may not dispute that you can offer these as part of a smaller eaglerider operator, but I was promised all those things by the operator eaglerider I worked for. I didn’t get uniform that fitted me until the 3rd week, so all my clothes stank of onions, garlic and tinned duck fat, the mobile phone I was promised was a free SIM card from a shop and the company car….well, we kept bricks in the boot to put behind the wheels as the handbrake didn’t like to work on the hills. But……I loved every minute of it.
I’m not aware that recent graduates are actually obliged to live and work in the most expensive place in the country – you might better make your cost comparison with the UK average rather than the priciest you can find. Personally I have wedges more disposable income working for a local employer than I ever did with a TO, even as hotel manager. Not to mention health and unemployment cover.
I think 22k is a pretty good average to use. Average salary across the entire UK is roughly 24k (depending on whose statistics you use), so going a little under that I think is fair. This isn’t an exact science, just trying to give an overview!
Firstly, I’d be interested to know which TOs actually pay their hosts 100GBP a week… In my first season I earned 100GBP a week as a chalet host of a top-end chalet for a very small independent company (eight guests, two staff). I then moved to a larger eaglerider TO and made 120GBP as