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Look after your team’s mental health
"The second you walk into a venue you know if the team is happy or not. Your people are your brand, so a healthy, happy workforce is good for business," says Jeremy Gibson, Marketing Director for Hospitality Action, who believes forward thinking businesses are finally addressing employee mental health as the race to attract, retain and motivate the best staff hots up across the sector.
Happy teams mean better staff retention, teamwork and productivity, reduced absence levels and a better experience for your customers.
The basics
We asked Jeremy from Hospitality Action and Alison Pay, who is Managing Director of Mental Health At Work to explain how easy it would be to set up a support network at out of home venues.
“Did you know? £5 for every £1 Average return on investment on mental health”
- Source: Deloitte, 2020
Warning Signs
“We’re trying to get mental health on a par with physical health so everyone can get the same level of support they would with a broken leg,” says Alison.
Stress, anxiety and depression are hallmarks of modern society and they’re not going away. But spotting the tell-tale signs can help protect your business.
Employees who are struggling to concentrate during service, losing interest and appearing low, tearful or overwhelmed, could be struggling.
“Notice and act,” says Alison: “If you notice a colleague appears different or something isn’t right, it’s not your job to diagnose.”
Younger front of house staff are unlikely to see the issue as taboo, are happy to talk about it and accept help from Employee Assistance Programmes such as Hospitality Action’s or organisations such as Burnt Chef.
Providing help
You can act by simply starting a conversation. Begin with open-ended questions like ‘you’re looking tired, how are you?’ and follow up with ‘how can I help?’ advises Alison.
“The important thing is to listen to the answer without judgement and never try to fix it. That is not your job,” insists Jeremy: “Put the person in touch with a specialist.
“Our Programme equips managers with skills to steer staff towards counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, advice on addiction, debt or family issues. People can bring all of those into work from home. They can manifest as stress, anxiety or depression.”
For staff who prefer reaching out directly, there is Burnt Chef’s text service whose goal is to: ‘challenge the stigma of mental health while beginning to create a culture of care and compassion’.
Set up by the Drinks Trust, it offers a text service (85258) where hospitality workers can access free, confidential support around mental health. Why not put up their details on your noticeboard?
What are the benefits?
One of the main benefits is that they will stay with you for longer. They’re also your advocates and brand ambassadors each time a customer visits.
Alison says: “Hospitality has always had high staff turnover, but the talent war means employers are now acknowledging the importance of wellbeing. It takes time to change the culture but it’s worth it.”
Jeremy adds: “Our EAP is a complete wrap-
around service for a small outlay which will save on recruitment costs and lost time as well as improving your team’s advocacy.
“If you genuinely care about your team, they’ll be more engaged and return the loyalty. That’s obvious, but it’s taken the terrible last couple of years for businesses to realise.”
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