Merlin Entertainments hosts benefits fairs

EXCLUSIVE: Merlin Entertainments has held a series of benefits fairs at 15 of its sites to raise employees’ awareness of the perks that are available to them.

This is the first time the attractions operator has staged such events to promote its benefits. The first fair took place on 26 June at the London Dungeon and the last was held on 26 July at Thorpe Park. Benefits fairs were also hosted at Madame Tussauds in London, the London Eye and Sealife Birmingham.

At the fairs, Merlin Entertainments invited its benefits providers, including Scottish Widows, Canada Life and O2, to speak with its employees. Local businesses, such as restaurants that offer discounts to Merlin staff, also took part.

The fairs were organised locally at each Merlinattraction. Some used location-specific activities to encourage employees to attend, for example Alton Towers Resort held a mini-golf competition and Legoland Windsor’s fair featured a life-size Lego brick man.

Overall, more than 1,000 Merlin Entertainments employees attended the benefits fairs across the various locations, and the company now intends to make this an annual event.

Debra Corey, group compensation and benefits director at Merlin Entertainments, said: “Our employee survey asking whether staff members were satisfied with their benefits revealed that many were not. Given the benefits that Merlin offers, we felt that some of this was down to lack of awareness of what they receive. These fairs are the first step in creating this awareness.”

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