Long hours at work, lack of quality time with the family, and a bad back are the unhappy reality of life behind the bar for many publicans.
A new survey of the trade carried out for Sky TV's Preview magazine and the Pub Channel paints an unglamorous picture that is unlikely to do much to recruitment into the licensed trade.
The poll of more than 2000 licensees found that 74 per cent work longer hours than most other people they know.
A similar number, 75 per cent, say their job is stressful, while 69 per cent say work prevents them spending enough time with their family. The lack of family time, as well as the difficulty of maintaining a social life outside work, were seen as the main concerns.
Other worries include general uncertainty about the future, and suffering from a bad back, and poor health and diet.
The upshot is that only 54 per cent of publicans would recommend the licensed trade as a career, and only 24 per cent believe they are well paid for job they do.
John McNamara, chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, said the survey is a wake-up call for the industry.
"From our experience at the BII, we know that if licensees and their staff are properly equipped to succeed, their view of the future changes dramatically.
"Bar staff, for example, who are properly inducted and trained stay longer, are more productive, and more likely to see the pub industry as a long term career."
Other findings of the poll, conducted by NOP, show:
- 30 per cent of pubs offer cashback
- Pub quizzes are the most popular form of customer entertainment
- 62 per cent of respondents are members of a trade body
- 88 per cent regularly read the trade press