Hospitality managers are bearing the brunt

Almost two-thirds (65%) of hospitality managers who experienced a mental health issue in their adult life say it was triggered by their work, according to the latest Taking the Temperature survey from UK charity Hospitality Action.

The charity’s annual mental health and wellbeing survey, which was conducted this summer in association with Agilysys, reveals that managers are increasingly expected to support the wellbeing of their teams, yet many are doing so without formal training while facing significant pressures of their own. While 40% of hospitality professionals were asked to support a colleague experiencing a mental health challenge in the past year, this figure rose to 61% among the managers answering.

However, many managers feel ill-equipped for this growing responsibility. Almost half of respondents (47%) want more management training to help leaders recognise and respond to mental health and wellbeing concerns. With 83% of managers saying that taking the time to listen is the primary support they provide, equipping leaders with the confidence, skills and practical tools to have these conversations has never been more important.

‘More to do’
Mark Lewis, chief executive of Hospitality Action, said: “The hospitality industry has made real progress in breaking down the stigma around mental health, but these findings clearly show there is more to do. Managers should not be expected to shoulder this responsibility alone.

“Those supporting others need to be supported themselves, and creating mentally healthy workplaces requires embedded commitment from every level of an organisation. Only then can we ensure we’re protecting the wellbeing of entire teams and creating a more resilient industry.”

For more on the report, click here.

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