SSO Employee Experience Group

The Shared Services Employee Experience Group (SSO EEG)

The SSO EEG provides our colleagues with a trusted, open-door feedback link directly into the SLT. We do this by Listening and Learning when you choose to Speak Up and voice your true feelings about the SSO employee experience. We act with integrity and confidentiality to guarantee all feedback is valued and Communicated.

You can Speak Up by leaving a comment below or getting in touch with a member of the EEG directly. You can find the EEG representatives for your department here.

Get in touch

The SSO FAQ

The Shared Services Operation is made up of several departments: the Contact Centre, Fleet People Operations, I.T., Newbuild & Hotel Refit, Onboard Revenue and Procurement & Supply Chain. You’re regularly invited to meet the wider team via our SSO Virtual Webinars, which provide opportunity to hear updates from SLT and ELT and ask questions.

Here’s our FAQs:

Question	Answer
The hybrid working came at CUK after the Covid hit and it is proved to have worked well. Could we look at the 4-days work model more proactively this time?	We have to think about our ships and our guests. Our guests want to book 24/7, so we would need to look at how a four-day week would work. We have a good balance of home worker/ hybrid and is meeting the needs of most. No immediate plans to do a four-day week.
Are we likely to see any changes to public transit benefits off the back of the transport survey that is more in line with a hybrid working pattern?	At the end of March, we received the results from the travel survey which was conducted in February. We’ll complete a full review of the results, including a session with the Council on further insights from them to assess any changes. We’ll communicate updates once we have completed this review.
Given the recent changes to employee travel, what steps are other brands taking in relation to employee benefits? Are all brands taking a similar approach?	We’ve found right proposition for CUK at this time.
Why is it so hard for people to sit at right desk/book a desk/or check if desk is free before sitting at it? Not everyone starts at same time…	As all desks are bookable and we continue to use Condeco to manage our occupancy and resources appropriately. It remains important for colleagues to check they are working at the correct desk before they sit down and start work. This can be done simply via the Condeco app or using the Condeco website. Please deal with any scenarios like this by speaking with a Manager.
Do we have any updates on equipment to make all desks available and easy to use at Carnival House? Some are missing laptop stands, docking stations, and chairs.	Coming out of the pandemic, Carnival UK ensured that all areas of Carnival House had the correct equipment to support our user base working from every desk that was available. Since then, we’ve had some parts of the business report that equipment is missing from desks, which we believe is due to users removing equipment for various reasons. Any missing equipment should be logged via the TechCentre either as one offs or as a list of missing equipment for the Service Desk and Techbar teams to provide the equipment that’s missing from those desks. We have plenty of chairs available, but you may need to wheel one to the desk you’ve booked.
Is there any further update with car parking?	In the prioritisation of projects, car parking was moved to August. We’re going to start looking at a technology solution, the app we’ve previously spoke about, which will help us manage car parking spaces more efficiently. Communication around plans and timescales will land later this year and we’re looking forward to making your lives easier.

Is it possible that management could look into the possibility of a pay rise?	Carnival UK has an annual pay review cycle, where we review market data and ensure that our pay bands and rates remain in line with the rest of the market. We know that the cost of living is tough and affects our people. Basic pay will be reviewed later this year and any updates will be shared with you. As part of our compensation package, we also offer a variety of benefits which includes discounted cruises.
As minimum wage has gone up in April, some of us are very close to this now (48p more p/h) Any chance our pay is going to be reviewed in line with the increase?	National Minimum Wage entitlement across the UK is published on 01 April, however at Carnival UK we align with the voluntary National Living Wage. This is also published on 01 April but takes into account the cost of living. Our annual pay review begins prior to the publications, so if these rates are higher than expected, we review to ensure we take into account the National Living Wage.
Disappointing to see so many colleagues leaving. Is no-one listening/learning from the exit interviews?	We conduct exit interviews which provide us with important data on reasons that colleagues choose to leave Carnival UK. There are many reasons for colleagues leaving, which include pay, but also to develop their career elsewhere, location and other personal reasons. Pay doesn’t always retain people, but we understand that it’s important. When we receive a resignation, we always look at whether there’s a way that we can retain that individual. Our exit interview process is under review so we can be sure we capture the most revealing data.
Where is the development support for non-line managers? To be told by our managers to “check The Cove” is just not good enough and disheartening really.	We have an extensive learning platform, The Cove, which has many useful tools including our Shore Learning Guide. All colleagues can make use of self-learning resources such as My Best Me and brand specific modules, in addition to collaborative Power Hours. To access our range of tools, log into The Cove and click “Content Library”.
Homeworkers cannot apply for any roles as the company wants a min 2 days in office which is impossible for homeworkers doesn’t feel very inclusive	We’re aware that we have some solely dedicated homeworking roles, especially in the Contact Centre. Homeworkers can continue to apply for all roles, but there’s an expectation to meet business needs which may include visiting Carnival House.
What protected characteristic is Chris Lees an exec sponsor of? He’s missing from the Employee Led Network page on The Insider	Chris is allied to religion, belief and social economics. There currently isn’t an employee-led network for religion and belief, but there’s ongoing conversations with the Culture team on how this can be promoted on The Insider.
Has the frequency of these webinars changed? It feels like they used to be more regular than they are now.	From beginning of year our SSO Virtual Webinars changed to every other month with floorwalks taking place in the intervening month. As we move into the new structure, we’ll look at different ways of doing things.
Is there anything that can be done about the Atrium being a greenhouse in the summer months? The ladies working in the Cafe really struggle with how hot it gets	This is being tackled. Our current plan is to replace the outer skin of Atrium roof, which will reduce the solar radiation coming through.
The food is appalling, overpriced and tasteless, and the service is slow, especially trying to get an coffee, are we looking to change?	Post-Covid, our supplier changed to Eurest. We’re on a journey with them as they learn about our preferences and receive our feedback. There are changes taking place, which you may have already noticed – updated salad bar, sandwich choices and heated foods.
Can you confirm when the ‘Onboard discounts’ document as part of the EDT scheme will be published?	Discounts are currently being reviewed, but won’t be removed or reduced. To see the current discounts, please click here.
Whilst the need for security is understandable, could the verification process be reviewed? Within 5 mins I’ve needed to verify 4x just to open relevant systems	We need to protect our operations and data, and while there’s hundreds of people in the background doing dedicated security tasks, we each need to do our part too. The policy for how we verify users is set at a corporate, global level but if you’re having issues with the Authenticator asking you to verify every five minutes, then please reach out to the Tech Bar.
Are there plans to extend the 4-Week cruise concession bookings beyond 2023?	There’re currently no plans for the scheme to end, but this is contingent on there being inventory to sell. As we move into 2024, ships are increasingly occupied by guests. This means you might notice that the options are fewer as the ships are more booked out already.
The lack of service from shore to ship is so noticeable! What is being done to try and improve this? There’s only so much you can cut before the product is dead	We’d love to explore this question, but would need to understand the context to do so. Please reach out to Chris Lees/an EEG representative directly to give us some more insight.
Re the re-structure in the ELT – how will this work with the CCO? In the CCO, we look after P&O AND Cunard but Chris sits with just P&O away from Cunard	The restructure doesn’t affect the Contact Centre, who will continue to report into Chris. Whilst Chris is now Chief Experience Officer of P&O Cruises, he’s also Executive Vice President of Guest Services which means that both the P&O Cruises and Cunard Contact Centre fall into his remit.