Hays Travel staging recruitment day to hire axed Thomas Cook staff following holiday firm's collapse

Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent, has confirmed that it is ‘working around the clock’ to try and get Thomas Cook staff into its available roles.

The firm led by managing director and founder John Hays, said it is offering axed staff the chance to take on positions in retail, homeworking and head office.

In a bid to get staff back in to work ‘as quickly as it can,’ Hays Travel will be holding a recruitment day for workers in the North East from 9am to 5pm on Thursday, September 26, at is head office at Gilbridge House, Sunderland, with further recruitment dates planned for next week.

People need to book a slot for the day by calling 0800 2155045.

Hays Travel are also waiving all set up fees on its homeworking packages for any former Thomas Cook employee, as well as adding extra training dates with a special shortened training course, in order to get people up and trading as a homeworker as soon as possible.

Homeworkers are travel consultants who work from home selling holidays, supported head office teams.

A Hays Travel spokeswoman said: “We’re reaching out to as many former Thomas Cook staff as possible and will be holding recruitment days up and down the country, aiming to get as many people as possible back into the working environment immediately.

“Our recruitment team are working around the clock to try and get as many Thomas Cook staff into our available roles in retail, homeworking and head office as quickly as we can.”

The business, originally founded in Seaham, has branches across the region including Sunderland, South Shields, Hartlepool and Northumberland.

Managing director John Hays said it is the largest third-party agent for Thomas Cook and had 35,000 bookings for those yet to travel when the firm folded.

The announcement came on Monday, September 23, after efforts to put together a bail-out package failed.

Anyone interested in applying for roles at Hays Travel should contact the recruitment team on 0800 2155045 or email [email protected]