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How to be a wellbeing-focused hospitality boss
Emma Keeble is the Mental Health First Aid trainer for Hospitality Action, an organisation that offers support services to hospitality workers. She shares her simple steps to help everyone (including yourself) feel happy and engaged.
Educate yourself and your management team
Understanding common challenges your employees face will help you and your management team develop empathy. Remember that each person’s capacity to handle stress is different. Be aware of the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and fatigue. Offering mental health first aid training and setting out a wellbeing action plan are positive, proactive steps.
Grow an open and supportive culture
Regular team check-ins prompt valuable conversations about mental health that help break down taboos. Managers should model positive wellbeing behaviours and challenge any stigmas out loud. Making mental health resources and contact details for helplines available in staff areas or having an employee assistance programme mean teams can access independent support if needed.
“40% of hospitality workers have considered leaving the industry due to the impact of poor mental health”
- Source: Hospitality Action
Look after yourself
Always make sure your team take proper breaks and use their holiday entitlement. That goes for you too. Because if you’re experiencing poor mental health, it affects everyone. Your team will look to you to lead by example, so if you’re not achieving a healthy work-life balance, they’re unlikely to. Discourage excessive overtime and try to flex around each team member’s needs as much as possible.
Make your workplace uplifting
We all love recognition for a job well done. Appreciation and teamwork go hand in hand so celebrate achievements and offer constructive feedback to help your people grow. Always be available to listen and take a genuine interest in your team as individuals outside work. That makes people feel good, encourages collaboration and will help them bond and build supportive relationships.
““Bosses should be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to them. They should keep regular contact with teams to check how staff are feeling, how their work is going and if they have the right workplace set up.””
- John Palmer, Acas adviser
Training boosts development
Teaching your people about stress management, resilience and self-care will pay back with reduced absence, greater engagement and heightened productivity.
Stay ahead of the game
Regularly evaluate and update mental health policies or initiatives based on feedback from your team. Tailor your approach to mental health according to the needs of your people and the type of business you are. That way you can identify key areas for improvement and work towards fixing them.
“85% of hospitality professionals have reported symptoms of poor mental health over the past year”
- Source: workforce solutions company Planday
Possible signs of poor mental health at work
1
Appearing tired, anxious or withdrawn
2
An increase in sickness absence or being late
3
Changes in the standard of their work or focus on tasks
4
Being less interested in tasks they once enjoyed
5
Changes in behaviour or mood, or in how someone interacts with the people they work with
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