Launched in 2010, Buckhead America Hospitality (BAH) is an Atlanta-based development and hotel management company with 12 hotels under brands like Hilton, IHG, Choice and Best Western. BAH adopted Rain's Earned Wage Access (EWA) solution to meet the financial needs and expectations of its 330+ frontline employees. The organization’s goal was to provide pay flexibility and financial health to its workforce.

With Rain’s EWA, BAH offers employees the ability to access their wages as they’re earned, without disrupting payroll. The result is a more stable, satisfied and financially confident workforce.

The hospitality challenge: Meeting employee financial needs

Hospitality companies face intense competition for talent. Employee expectations around pay frequency have evolved dramatically, with many seeking pay flexibility rather than traditional pay cycles. “Everyone is switching to pay on demand,” stated Edward Kalashian, Senior Vice President of Operations at Buckhead America Hospitality. “People want to get paid daily.”

Implementing Rain’s EWA solution

BAH implemented Rain’s EWA solution to provide employees financial flexibility without disrupting payroll processes. Employees can access their earned wages before payday, helping them manage everyday expenses and unexpected financial needs.

Kalashian shared that associates use Rain in various ways, whether it’s covering a small expense like lunch when they’re short a few dollars or taking out extra cash for an emergency before the next payroll.

A seamless partnership

When Kalashian joined BAH in 2023, Rain was already established. After gathering feedback, he discovered employees across all of BAH’s properties highly valued the program.

“It’s something we wanted to have, never wanted to change, and we’ve had good successwith the partnership,” Kalashian said.

When BAH transitioned to a smaller, independent payroll provider, the Rain team adapted quickly, maintaining continuous employee access to earned wages through the new implementations. 

“Everything we’ve asked for, we’ve gotten quick responses. We’ve changed payroll providers, there have been quick integrations, and we worked with the team to get it up and running without losing steam.”

Competitive necessity in hospitality

For BAH, offering EWA is a necessity in today’s hospitality labor market. “It helps us stay competitive,” Kalashian said. “A lot of hotel companies are doing this. You have to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak. You really have to do it.”

Kalashian emphasizes that removing the benefit would be detrimental to employee satisfaction and retention: “I think if we took it away, employees would say, ‘What the heck, why are you doing this?’”

“It is a competitive tool to have, and it’s needed now. Employees don’t have to think if they’re depleting their checking account or don’t want to use a credit card.”

Measuring success

BAH monitors program utilization through Rain’s dashboard, gathering insights on employee usage patterns. The company considers the program successful based on consistent positive feedback and high adoption rates. “We’re an employee-focused company, and we want to give them this offering to help them,” Kalashian said.

These are some of the results that BAH has realized since implementing Rain:

• Employees who use Rain work 23 more hours per month
• Employees who use Rain have a 61% lower turnover rate compared to non-users
• 40% of enrollees have used Rain to access wages early

“When we look at benefits ... we implement programs based on our employees' needs. We have a lot of people using it and everyone who uses Rain speaks highly of it.”

Recommendations for hospitality companies

When Kalashian joined BAH in 2023, Rain was already established. For other hospitality companies considering EWA, Kalashian emphasizes the importance of proper communication and employee education. “If you’re looking to enhance your benefit plan, Rain is a good solution to give your associates for on-demand pay. We’ve experienced great success with it.”

“Everyone is in different walks of life, with different income levels, and you don’t know what people need. It’s important to have this offering.”

An integral component of BAH’s benefit strategy

Rain’s EWA solution has become integral to BAH’s employee benefits strategy, providing a competitive edge in the challenging hospitality hiring landscape. The company recognizes that financial flexibility addresses the diverse needs of its workforce. Kalashian stated simply: “It’s been a win for us. I don’t think there would be any reason to change it.”