The Coronavirus pandemic has turned business on its head for many sectors around the globe. But one of the hardest hit sectors is hospitality.
In the UK, Government figures show that around 80% of hospitality firms stopped trading in April 2020. As a result, 1.4 million workers were furloughed. This is the highest of any sector.
The UK Government’s “Eat Out to Help Out” programme benefited over 78,000 outlets, with 160 million meals claimed. Nevertheless, the curfew and tiered restrictions in the latter part of 2020 mean it remains a deeply uncertain time for those employed by the hospitality sector and its suppliers.
Against this backdrop, Drinks Trust – the organisation providing support to the drinks industry workforce – has conducted its 2020 Drinks Industry Survey. The survey aims to establish how members of the hospitality and drinks industry are feeling. It also identifies key concerns and highlights thoughts on diversity and inclusion in the industry.
Evolving wellbeing needs
A key part of the survey focuses on wellbeing support in the workplace. It highlights interesting insights into evolving wellbeing needs. Some of these are particular to the drinks and hospitality industry. But many could be transferable.
With 68% of the 732 respondents feeling that their job security has decreased, it’s not surprising that stress (55%), anxiety (46%) and depression (28%) are key concerns.
When asked what wellbeing support will be needed in the future, 42% highlight stress and resilience training, 30% access to counselling and 26% sleep insomnia advice. It was interesting that 25% said no wellbeing support would be needed.
Spotlight on the need for management training
Notably, only 17% of respondents would currently turn to their manager for wellbeing support. This suggests that more emphasis needs to be put on training for managers. This is backed up by stand-out respondent comments such as:
“I would like more training options / access to more training”.
“Knowing where and how to access support and healthcare benefits”.
“More understanding of specific mental health policies and help available for managers and employees”.
The Drinks Trust survey was conducted in partnership with We Are Wellbeing, NDML Ltd, The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), Best Bar None, Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).
You can download further key insights from the report here.
About the author
Claire Farrow is the Global Director of Content and Programming for the Mad World and Make a Difference Summits. She also drives the content for Make A Difference News. Claire is on a mission to help every employer – large, medium and small – get the insight, inspiration and contacts they need to make real impact on workplace culture, mental health and wellbeing in their organisation. She has been freelance for more than 15 years. During that time, she has had the honour of working with many leading publishers, including the New York Times
