Hospitality businesses are in danger of having staff burn-out with 64% of hospitality companies doing nothing about stress, a figure that is 42% higher than the UK average.
Impacts of stress
The findings come in a study of 3,000 UK workers carried out by employee benefits provider Perkbox.
Hospitality staff struggle with stress in various ways including:
- 39% suffering anxiety
- 33% losing sleep
- 30% finding it difficult to concentrate
- 27% struggling to be as productive
- 21% looking for a new job
- 9% calling in sick
Perkbox co-founder Chieu Cao said it is worrying to see how little hospitality businesses consider stress levels within their workforce to be a problem.
Cao said: “Considering the fact that many of the employees in the hospitality industry will be liaising with customers on a daily basis, it is particularly ironic to see that over half of workers in this industry say their bosses do not do offer anything to help them alleviate stress levels."
Damage to morale
Cao continued: “This can have a hugely damaging effect on morale, productivity and sickness absence – all of which ultimately contribute to a company’s overall success – and it is important for bosses to recognise the contribution that work makes to employee stress levels.”
Among measures that companies can introduce that may help alleviate stress, says Perkbox, are flexible working, allowing staff to work from home from time to time, or enforcing one-to-ones with managers to allow employees to discuss concerns and motivations.
Tackle staff stress
Such measures can go a long way to help and need not be particularly involved or expensive, said Cao.
Ultimately, though, measures that tackle staff stress best include gym membership or exercise classes, discounted or complementary counselling and mental health services, and even spa vouchers, he said.
Close behind the hospitality sector in terms of doing nothing to help staff with stress is the leisure industry, where 63% of businesses don’t bother, followed by transport (55%), trades such as plumbing and construction (54%), and – perhaps most ironic – health (45%).