A charity has announced it will be providing free breakfast and lunch to its employees to alleviate cost-of-living pressure.
Teens+, a charitable service of the Edinburgh-based non-profit organisation Capella, which also operates Sleep Scotland, said it would be providing free meals to all its 125 employees.
Simon Pearce-Madge, head of Teens+ said that the initiative aimed to mitigate the impact of the crisis on staff and “to create a more supportive and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and appreciated”.
A spokesperson for Capella said it was expected to cost £15,600 a year and that it would continue for as long as the crisis lasted.
The spokesperson said: “When we realised that the cost of living was impacting our staff, we looked for other practical ways to help.
“Offering free meals made sense as it meant staff who did not have the means or time to prepare food for themselves would still be eating a nutritious meal and could still share in the social experience that comes with sitting down with the rest of the team.”
The organisation also issued a £500 cost-of-living payment to all Capella staff in January.
Gail Burden, chief executive, said: “The social care and education sectors rely on incredible people, so looking after our staff is a top priority for us.
“Following the challenges brought on by Covid, we worked tirelessly to become a living wage-accredited employer last year.
“We know that many people are facing financial difficulties due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, so we wanted to do something practical to support our staff members.”