Why Backline Should Be The ONLY Choice For Drivers
Let’s be honest. The COVID-19 outbreak has presented many individuals, companies and even the government with both numerous and significant challenges.
The Logistics sector is a unique one – but one in which we have been operating for many years. Our understanding of it, including the people who make it what it is, continues to set us apart from the competition. Never has that been more apparent than over the last few weeks.
From the day Backline began to operate, we recognised the importance of drivers to our success. Whilst we are just one fairly small cog in the immense machine that is logistics, we see it as our duty to press for better pay, better benefits and better conditions generally for drivers.
The Platinum Programme
Originally launched in 2018, our Platinum programme is entirely unique within the recruitment industry.
What is it?
It’s a 45 hours-per-week permanent contract of employment for our very best field staff. On top of the hours, this contract provides other benefits that are unheard of elsewhere:
- Medicash private medical insurance plan
- Life & personal accident insurance plan
- Enhanced paid annual leave
- Essential free training (e.g. Driver CPC)
- Enhanced free training (e.g. ADR)
- Free premium uniform
The Guarantee Programme
Our guarantee programme – which made its debut in 1999! – gave us the platform from which we launched our Platinum programme.
Guaranteed drivers benefit from a commitment from us that, irrespective of how much work we’re able to find them in a given week, we’ll pay them a minimum agreed amount. This is usually the equivalent of around a 40-45 hour week.
We recognise it’s not quite as generous as the Platinum scheme, but it’s still far beyond what any other recruitment business will commit to for its drivers.
In total we employ over 100 drivers on these two programmes.
Why It Really Matters
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone – so the saying goes. In the case of our drivers, however, it was more ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it proves to be a lifesaver’.
Our commitment to both prioritising our drivers’ best interests and operating as an ethical employer led us to take the decision that we would utilise the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) not just for our office staff, but for our PAYE drivers also.
Essentially, the CJRS guarantees that PAYE staff can be paid 80% of their normal earnings at the same time as being placed on temporary leave.
Where other recruitment businesses are simply abandoning workers that they have no work for, and no commitment to – an approach not dissimilar to that which we saw in 2014 and 2019 with the Driver CPC deadlines – we are stepping up to do whatever we can to protect our employees through this difficult time.
And it’s not just the PAYE workers that benefit from this. Those who choose to engage with us not on PAYE – and those for whom furlough was not a suitable option – can now be prioritised for the work that is still available, meaning their earnings are protected too.
Sounds good? Contact us today to start your registration process.