Mental health and wellbeing are taking priority in the hospitality sector like never before.
One in five hospitality workers suffers from work-related mental health issues, with 84% of those working in hospitality attributing increased feelings of stress as being a direct result of their job.
Factoring in the increased stress as a result of changing circumstances as pandemic restrictions come and go, alongside the Great Resignation, there is a strong business case for investing in mental health and wellbeing to not only retain staff but attract them too.
What is the picture of mental health in hospitality, and what can employers do to improve their current efforts?
The current picture
Hospitality roles are varied, flexible and fun but they often come with long hours, unsociable shifts, customer-related conflicts, and high stress.
Research by the Royal Society for Public Health has found that 74% of respondents have reported being verbally abused by a customer, 62% were given insufficient breaks, 61% had inadequate management, 57% had difficult working relationships, and 43% had experienced verbal abuse from a manager.
Additionally, stress around distribution of tips, no overtime, and an inability to take leave were cited as the most common forms of mistreatment at work.
The picture isn’t entirely dreary, as nearly half of the respondents rated their experience working in hospitality as positive, however, 81% had been negatively affected by something that has happened to them at work.
As a result, increased stress, less time for other activities, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and fatigue were the most commonly cited repercussions that hospitality workers believed to result from their job.
Is change on the horizon, though?
Shifting workforce trends
The pandemic has caused rampant uncertainty in hospitality – the number of hospitality workers struggling with their mental health has risen during the pandemic – and when combined with the Great Resignation, it has caused the hospitality sector to reconsider its offering to employees.
One particular area of employee offering that is being significantly remodelled is mental health and wellbeing, but where is the focus specifically aimed?
Survey findings indicate the key areas of note:
- 51% of respondents said fellow employees don’t hold any mental health awareness training or qualifications
- 59% said their workplace does not offer mental health training
- 44% said they did not have anybody to talk to about their mental health at work
The demand is there, with 44% saying they would take part in mental health awareness training if it was made available to them.
Long story short, hospitality staff have struggled with their mental health during the pandemic. Combined with staff shortages, businesses are realising the importance of not just raising mental health awareness but also providing proactive support.
What can employers do to address mental health?
Ensuring that hospitality staff have an environment that values mental health alongside physical health is important, so here’s how you can get started.
Raise mental health awareness
So many businesses will approach mental health awareness differently depending on their preference.
Workplace workshops can discuss mental health in hospitality, potential signs of poor mental health (to help line managers and colleagues spot those who may need support), and a company’s pledge to prioritise the mental health of their employees.
In addition to this, resources can be signposted, whether through physical posters in the workplace or sent via email or put on a staff intranet – the most important thing is that employees know what is available to them and how they can access it.
Give employees a point of contact
Having dedicated members of a team that have received mental health training (e.g., mental health first aid) who can be a point of contact for employees is important – employees need to know who they can turn to if they need support, and who can potentially resolve any issues that they are having.
Communication is absolutely pivotal to addressing mental health, which is why training specific members of staff around mental health and wellbeing can go a long way in ensuring employees feel as though they can receive help, should they need it.
Find partners
Whether you’re looking for a charitable organisation to partner with as part of your wellbeing efforts, or campaigns to support, wider mental health efforts can be helped immensely by making them integrate into wider Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts.
For example, we have chosen to partner with The Burnt Chef Project (BCP), and we have pledged to donate £50 for every candidate we successfully place into a new job and also support BPC through dual-branded merchandise that goes out to every candidate we place.
This ties in with our commitment to mental health, as we attend mental health workshops and continue to support BCP through our business.
Finding a cause to be passionate about can bolster your mental health efforts across the board and get everyone involved!
The bottom line
It’s still a tumultuous time in hospitality.
Now more than ever, mental health needs to be a priority in order to keep hospitality staff well-supported and functioning at full productivity in a healthy way.
For employers, ensuring that staff turnover rate doesn’t increase at a time when great, highly-skilled employees are in short supply and high demand is essential – and it can all come down to how valued and supported your employees feel at work.
Strong communication and embedded mental health awareness can provide a much-needed solution for high burnout rates and the poor mental health that has become rampant in the sector.
The business case boils down to this – putting staff mental health and wellbeing first can potentially reduce staff turnover, increase productivity, and enhance the communication between employees.
Rather than hoping for an infinite talent pool to choose from, it’s time for hospitality businesses to focus on the employees that they currently have towards a healthier and happier workplace in the long term.
Get in touch today to find out how we can find the perfect candidates for your hospitality business.