Hospitality workers are experiencing poor personal health due to the stress of their job role, according to a survey by music licensing company PPL PRS.
Out of more than 350 workers surveyed, 45% reported an inability to relax and 44% stated they had feelings of anxiety. Workers’ poor health even manifests itself when it’s time to rest as 43% have reported suffering with sleep problems.
The survey also found that 100% of hospitality workers have had, at some point, experience with feeling burned out the result of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion from unmanaged workplace stress.
Workers also reported that the stress of their job role has left them with feelings of frustration (47%), lack of motivation (45%) and feeling as though small things are overwhelming (38%).
Despite the concerning findings, PPL PRS’ survey found that hospitality workers are making a conscious effort to combat the effects of unmanaged workplace stress.
Music was cited as the number one choice by over a third of respondents (38%). Other go-to methods include prioritising rest (28%) and spending time with friends and family (26%).
Marianne Rizkallah, music therapist for PPL PRS, said: “It’s no secret that music is the key to helping many of us unlock our productivity and feel more focused. It can also help us when we’re feeling unmotivated, stuck, or stressed.
“In the workplace, we don’t often consider the soundtrack we have and will usually be so focused on tasks that music blends into the background. Yet considering how music can leave us feeling positive, less stressed and happier, it’s no wonder that the music we hear at work should also be doing that too.”
Leadership coach, Debbie Green, commented: “Staff that are burned out, stressed out or anxious at work aren’t going to be producing their best, and this can have a huge impact on a business as well as the rest of the staff.
“Regularly acknowledging hard work, great results, or even just brilliant moments when a team has worked together and supported each other can make it clear that work is a positive place to be.”
Sam Haggar, founder and MD at The Beautiful Pubs Collective in Leicester, said: “In the long term, it is essential for hospitality leaders to build values driven businesses where teams feel confident and safe to speak up when stress levels are rising. Without proper support, pressure can quickly become a negative cycle, so recognising the signs early and acting on concerns raised by team members leads to meaningful improvements in both wellbeing and performance.“