New figures have highlighted the extent to which British hospitality workers' mental health had declined, even pre-Covid. Here are the effects of a toxic workplace on its staff
"The last time I saw Kelly before she died, she said to me that she realised working in a professional kitchen was not something that she could sustain, because it was having such a negative impact on her mental health."
Tobie-Anna Durk, a former head chef of Brixton's Kricket restaurant, is talking about her friend Kelly, who she met while training at Le Cordon Bleu in London. Kelly had been working in kitchens in the capital when she took her own life in 2016 at the age of just 23.
Durk is a psychology graduate as well as a chef. In 2019 she founded Kelly's Cause Foundation, which provides mental health first-aid training for operators and employees, in her friend's honour. The charity has said that the deceased chef's existing mental health issues were "made worse by the unforgiving and often hostile atmosphere she faced in the workplace" and argues that "the harsh conditions workers in the industry face contributed to her suicide".
If we don't make an environment where people feel that they're cared about... this industry just won't survive
The hospitality industry historically has a poor reputation when it comes to providing supportive working environments and conversations have been sparked every few years, such as when television personality and former chef Anthony Bourdain killed himself in 2018.
Now a new analysis of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) data, shared with The Caterer, has revealed the extent to which employee mental health in the sector had deteriorated over the past decade – even before Covid-19 hit.
The new figures, compiled by student staffing app Stint, show the UK food and accommodation sector's self-reported cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety surged by 160% between 2010 and 2020. There were 39,000 such cases reported in the sector in 2019-20 – more than double the 15,000 reported in 2009-10, according to the analysis.
Further data suggests high rates of poor mental health are likely exacerbating labour shortages. The analysis found there were an average of 648,000 workdays lost each year due to poor mental health between 2017 and 2020. This was up from a three-year average of 146,000 days lost at the start of the 2010s.
The HSE's latest report also indicates that the pandemic has accentuated challenges consumer-facing employees were already experiencing.
City Pub Group executive chairman Clive Watson said these new findings appear to confirm a trend he and fellow leaders have seen in the sector over the past four to five years, one of "more pub managers leaving the industry because of stress".
"It's shocking. I didn't think [the statistics] would be that high," added Robert Richardson, chief executive of professional membership organisation the Institute of Hospitality. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, added: "The numbers are concerning and a reminder that the sector needs to do as much as it can to support its valuable workforce".
Time for change
According to both campaigners and industry leaders, serious progress is now being made in this regard. There are reports of a shift in recent months, with many bosses appreciating that staff mental health and wellbeing have a significant impact on both their people and their bottom lines. Firms are raising pay, adjusting rotas, offering mental health first-aid training and even switching to four-day working weeks.
The moves come amid the ongoing labour shortage after a combination of Brexit and the pandemic drastically reduced the UK's pool of young hospitality workers as many left the country. This has been compounded by the fact that many hospitality workers took up jobs in different industries during successive lockdowns and have not returned. This staffing crisis has forced operators to consider novel ways to attract and retain employees, in addition to hiking wages.
Salaries, previously frequently lower than the UK Living Wage of £9.90 per hour, have already risen. Takeaway chain Itsu has increased its hourly pay by as much as 11% for all in-store workers, for example. But some operators have reported significant wage rises failing to persuade staff to stay on, as rivals have started drawing in staff with new workplace benefits, including access to therapists and other support structures.
City Pub Group is implementing changes. The group, which has branches across London and the south-east, is initiating 40-hour weeks spread over four working days. Watson says the aim is to give staff three days off "so they have proper time away from the coal face".
The Landmark hotel in Marylebone, London, also recently announced the launch of a scheme allowing its chefs to work a four-day week – with increased pay – as part of a work/life balance and wellbeing drive. The National Trust, which has more than 200 food and beverage offerings around the country, announced last month that all its F&B managers have been offered mental health awareness training.
City Pub Group's Watson said staff are now talking about their struggles more openly. "That's a good thing," the industry veteran said. "In the past people would resort to drinking a lot, and we're seeing less of that. There's more of an openness, more awareness. Staff are more open about talking about [mental health] and employers are certainly becoming more aware."
Nicholls agreed, and said that "post-pandemic there has been a step change in how we value mental wellbeing" in hospitality. Durk says Kelly's Cause Foundation has seen "loads more engagement from companies" this year.
Five-years for things to change
Kelly's Cause has carried out mental health first-aid training with the National Trust, Ennismore and London's JKS Restaurant group, whose sites include Michelin-starred Gymkhana. Swathes of other operators are also accessing new offerings from external agencies, including ACAS's Small Business Mental Health Support initiative.
"We are seeing a change in shift patterns and operators offering greater flexibility," Nicholls said. "Many businesses are providing enhanced mental health support to their employees and we are keen to see this provided more widely. The industry has made great strides on this journey, however there is much more that can be done."
"I think it will take at least five years for those [new HSE] statistics to plateau," Watson said. "The measures people are starting to implement now will take time [to have impact], and not everyone is yet at best practice."
Cause and effect
A recent survey by social enterprise the Burnt Chef project found that the main reasons respondents gave for poor mental health included poor work-life balance, low wages, unpredictable hours and little support. A mere 15% said they believed their employer had acted to reduce stress and anxiety in their workplace. Stint co-founder and chief executive Sol Schlagman said working in the sector can still be "really tough at times" due to long hours and high pressure, and that the app has recently seen "a large number of people leave the industry for this exact reason".
Post-pandemic there has been a steep change in how we value mental wellbeing
Based on her experiences, Durk agreed that it will take time to solve deeply embedded cultural issues. The campaigner highlighted the drinking and drug culture that exists in hospitality and argued that despite progress, the sector is still "behind a lot of other industries in a lot of areas – things like flexible working and the #MeToo movement".
Durk argued it is crucial that the industry makes changes in these areas to support employees' mental health "because we are literally not going to have an industry otherwise".
The urgency is in part because younger hospitality workers "are just not putting up with being spoken to in a horrendous way and are much better at standing up for themselves and demanding what they want and need," she explained.
"We all know there's a massive recruitment crisis out there," Durk said. "If we don't make an environment where people feel that they're cared about, that their wellbeing is supported, and that they're given the time to look after themselves, this industry just won't survive."
Other organisations are also recognising the next generation's requirements and harnessing their talents. This January the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) launched a Youth Council formed of young hospitality professionals. As chief executive Richardson pointed out, starting a career in the industry can be incredibly stressful. The council is working on projects to help boost wellbeing for entry-level staff in the sector. Richardson says he finds its members inspiring and he is confident that their generation's conviction, combined with the changes large swathes of operators are instigating, mean a brighter future is on the horizon.
"There are operators that may be a bit slower to change, and the fact the industry is evolving without them means they either have to grow with it or not survive," he said. "I think there are a lot of reasons to have faith in the future… We need to lead with positivity, because that's what the world and the industry need right now."
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