Hospitality Industry

I am a big believer in supporting the economy especially in this sector. Eating and drinking out quite a bit in Manchester and last few days a trip to Harrogate it seems the biggest threat now is lack of staff. I am not an expert in this industry and have seen lots of vacancies full / part time - from bartenders, baristas, servers, cleaners, chefs, back of house, front of house, housekeepers etc etc the list goes on.

Whats the issue? Don't people want to work in this industry, have people left and not returned, pay too low? Anyone have any ideas or experience to offer up?

 

I've heard anecdotally that people left the industry (understandably) and haven't returned. People will no doubt see it as a gamble going back too, for the foreseeable.

I guess tightening of entry requirements for non UK citizens won't help either, nor being able to move freely between EU countries due to covid restrictions.

 

I think a lot of ex hospitality workers have seen the light and don’t want the anti social working hours can’t blame em

 

Employer, employee, and consumer research shows scale and scope of Brexit’s damage to hospitality jobs - Hospitality & Catering News (hospitalityandcateringnews.com)

 

I believe that we expected a drop off as a result of Brexit (same as agricultural Labour/food processing) due to it being low pay and hard work / unsociable hrs.

I think in the case of hospitality, Covid has exacerbated the problem by closing it for a year or more. So loads of foreign workers have left the country, and lots of British workers have found alternative employment.

 

On our recent trip to Robin Hoods Bay only the Bay Hotel was open as normal.
The others, the Laurel, was due to open only at weekends and Ye Dolphin was permanently closed. The latter is in a desperately poor state of repair and it is not known whether it will reopen.
These three pubs are the mainstay of RHB and capture crowds of people.
The main point behind it all is that they have lost so much business over the last 18 months that they weren't able to survive, except the Bay. And now they are absolutely crying out for staff. The Laurel closed on this basis, now they have to stretch the few staff from the Bay. These staff are at their wits end, they can't cope.
When you think of these historic places closing due too staff shortages it is very, very sad. If only I could do something to help ... but I can't.
The locals don't want the jobs, or aren't suitable, and outsiders that may be interested have to be accommodated.

 

They went back to eastern Europe due to COVID and now won't come back because of the Brexit mentality of our government. Just ask the Weatherspoons guy Tim Martin.

By the way in 2018 I worked in a pub doing about 5 shifts a week for minimum wage. It was my favourite pub, very friendly with customers similar to myself but I certainly wouldn't do it as my main source of income so I'm not at all surprised that they can't get Brits to do it, just the same as fruit picking etc.

 

It probably doesn't help that (rightly or wrongly) there is a perception that the hospitality industry isn't as safe as some others. But mainly its the same as logistics (HGV drivers), food picking, etc. We relied on cheap imports who've gone home.

 

Brexit. It’s as simple as that really. The only option the industry has is to raise wages which is fine but creates a vicious circle as they would need to raise prices to cover as margins are not great. A friend and bar owner who has always paid well but is London based is struggling for staff but has limited capacity to increase wages.

 

Inflation: another brexit bonus; who'd have thunked it?

 

I guess if the biggest effect is Brexit then we will see a longer struggle. If its COVID then the industry should bounce back quicker. Simple logic. I fear that the side effects of both have impacted. I think people have adjusted to not working in the industry and hard to get back. The demand is growing but people also have adjusted to not going out as much. I spoke to a the head waitress in the restaurant last night despite tables available they were turning people away. I counted around 10 people turned away in the 2hrs we were there. The Waitress had just clocked 15 hours for the day and had another couple to go before she got home. The Hotel we stayed were recruiting in almost every role.

 

Number of factors at moment , Brexit one of them , COVID and quarantine another , when half your staff are being pinged every shift it’s difficult to keep a place going , and reliability of deliveries for restaurants hotels and pubs , all due to the same factors in transport . Most of the pubs and restaurants I’ve been in recently have very low staffing levels .

 

Good point re the pinging, had forgotten about that. We had our table cancelled at the restaurant at Yummy Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago for that reason.

 

I agree, its not a sector i know professionally as i operate in a global role operating with technology in process industries and power worldwide. Brexit and Covid has had an impact (not just in the UK). I Wont bore you with that. I have socialised in the hospitality industry though for the last 40 years. Its been an interesting journey .

 

Loads of in town sandwich shops that have been in business for 20-30 years gone due to people working from home.

The last 18 months have been catastrophic.

Most nightclubs were on their arse anyway due to late bars & more than half in Leeds have gone, never to return. The late bars pay DJs peanuts even if they have a DJ at all. Most have used Covid as an excuse to pay far less than previous. Thankfully for me I'd moved out of that sector largely some time ago.

 

The hospitality industry has historically paid it's front of house staff peanuts . They should start paying decent wages then they'll recruit people who will treat it as a proper career rather than 17 year olds getting £6 an hour .

 

I agree, but people will have to pay more for rooms, food & drink. Inevitable.