Nearly two-thirds of UK hospitality workers (65%) say they experience stress at work, with most (95%) also unable to switch off from work when they get home.
For three-quarters (75%) of hospitality workers this is partly because they are being contacted by their bosses on their personal social media feeds, such as WhatsApp, according to the poll by workforce management software firm Quinyx.
Its survey of 3,000 UK frontline employees found UK hospitality staff are more likely than other ‘deskless’ sectors – such as retail, warehousing and transport – to suffer from job-related stress and are least likely to be able to ‘leave work behind’ when off-shift.
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Equally worrying, almost half (49%) of all UK hospitality workers said their jobs were having a negative impact on either their physical or mental health.
The research found WhatsApp usage for work messaging is higher in hospitality than any other sector, with three in four employees contacted this way by bosses.
Of the 95% of hospitality workers who said they think about work off-shift, almost half (47%) said they were mulling over how to improve their own performance and help their company.
Slightly more than a third (37%) were worrying about low pay and a similar number (34%) were thinking about their stressful work environment during their downtime.
Toma Pagojute, chief HR officer at Quinyx, highlighted that government moves to ditch plans to legislate for a ‘right to switch off’ could therefore be particularly damaging for hospitality workers.
“It appears that companies will instead be asked to establish their own codes. My concern is that it will be too easy for businesses to let standards slide, especially in a high-tempo industry like hospitality,” she said.
“WhatsApp and other social media might be quick and easy for work conversations, but work/life boundaries become blurred – so it’s not surprising hospitality staff are finding switching off difficult. Plus, there are data protection implications for employers to consider.
“The hospitality sector often operates at breakneck speed and staff give their all when at work. Without cast-iron frameworks to ensure uninterrupted time off, there’s the real danger of physical and mental ill-health as a consequence – or staff will quit. Either way, it could be disastrous for the industry unless wellbeing is prioritised,” Pagojute added.
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