As a part of cost cutting measure, Dubai-based Jumeirah Group will reduce its staff working days enormously by offering voluntary unpaid leave to cut costs during the current financial year.

The hotel management company’s executive chairman Gerald Lawless, speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai, said, “We have saved something like 20,000 man days in terms of colleagues taking unpaid leave on a voluntary basis.”

He further said, “This has worked very well for us and we will continue to do this throughout the year.”

Mr. Lawless also reported that there has been a lot of pressure on the company to cut jobs, majorly at a regional group and corporate level.  

Mr. Lawless expects that by the end of this year, the company would start recruiting again.  

It should be mentioned here that Jumeirah Group, which is a member of Dubai Holding, is mulling to have 60 hotels worldwide in operation or under development by 2012.

(Via TopNews Arab Emirates. Contributed by Rehan Rachid)