Under Pressure: The Mental Health Crisis in Hospitality

Low wages impact the food and beverage industry

Low pay is also a widely spread issue that affects the hospitality sector. The cost-of-living crisis, stagnant or low wages and the ever-increasing costs of running a business mean huge financial pressure. Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest areas to implement change – for many areas of business, increasing salaries just isn’t a viable option. And many are already doing their best to pay the living wage.

The impact of low wages is made worse by poor financial wellbeing. In an industry that relies on zero-hour contracts, the required flexibility and constant change can make financial planning very difficult for employees. And this uncertainty causes stress. Stress that feeds into reports that 53% of all current hospitality professionals are looking to leave their current roles. Perfectionism, bullying, depression, and burnout are as well of significant concern.

The boiling point

In the wake of Anthony Bourdain’s death, issues related to mental health appear to have become an increasing focus within the restaurant industry. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found restaurant employees to be the most at risk for substance use disorders including binge drinking and illicit drug use.

As individuals within the restaurant industry begin to develop programs to address these issues, such as support groups and awareness trainings, researchers should seek to work with them to help monitor their outcomes. According to a recent survey conducted in UK, The Shift Towards Retention, 85% of hospitality employees experienced symptoms of poor mental health, including depression, anxiety or stress; only 24% of employees get two consecutive days off once every fortnight on average, with one in 10 only getting that every 2- months. By not being able to properly recover from work and relax, employees run the risk of burning out quicker. 67% % of employees believe that having more notice of shift patterns would improve their life.

Facing the stigma

Isolation. Discrimination. Shame. Often the biggest challenges people with mental illnesses face aren’t their illnesses at all. The stigma—or negative feelings, attitudes and stereotypes—that surround mental health can make getting help scary and leading a fulfilling life difficult. Stigma prevents people from seeking help. It restricts resources from being allocated. And it discourages others from lending their support. The National Restaurant Association (USA) reports that 15.5 million people work in the food service industry nationwide. With many individuals working in the industry, stigma is common.

A Latino workers’ matter?

Latinos face high rates of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. More than one in five Latino adults report having a mental illness. Yet, compared to the 52.1% of white patients who received mental healthcare in 2021, only 36.1% of Hispanics and Latinos received care.

Approximately 26% of restaurant and food service employees in the USA are Hispanic, serving in various roles from entry-level to management to ownership. Additionally, 12% are Black or African American, and 7% are Asian.

The restaurant industry has a notably higher concentration of Hispanic workers than the U.S. workforce as a whole. Data from the National Restaurant Association shows that 43% of restaurant laborers and 26% of all food-service workers are Hispanic. This significant representation extends to other parts of the food system, with 78% of agricultural workers and 48% of abattoir laborers also identifying as Hispanic. Furthermore, the Economic Policy Institute indicates that nearly 30% of domestic workers, a group that includes many in food handling and preparation, are Hispanic.

Projects and initiatives to counter mental health issues

The Slow Food Negroni Week Fund combines the iconic cocktail with the mission of promoting sustainable food practices. The fund supports individuals and projects that make a significant impact on food sustainability and education worldwide. In 2024 funds were granted, among others, to Healthy Hospo and to Another Round Another Rally, both organizations working on the topic of mental wellbeing for the food and beverage industry workers.

Tim Etherington-Judge started Healthy Hospo after a personal breakdown caused by burnout and from working in the industry. It left him determined to change the industry for the better, to educate on good health, and help prevent others experiencing what he did. “We work with world class experts in fields of health and well-being, combining our decades of hospitality experience into their training for programs that are tailored for the specific needs of hospitality” he says. “We support hospitality outlets around the world to build healthy workplaces that are more profitable, resilient, deliver better customer service, have great staff retention, and are much more enjoyable places to work”.

Another Round Another Rally is a nonprofit financial and educational resource for the hospitality industry. They provide reimbursement grants and immersive educational scholarships to further the education of historically excluded voices in the community, and supply emergency assistance to those employed in restaurants, bars, and hotels who have fallen on unexpected hardship. Amanda Gunderson, CEO and co-founder, explains: “Our goal is to give current and future leaders access to the tools they can utilize in order to create innovative, dynamic workplaces where equity and inclusion allow marginalized populations the space and safety to advance and thrive”.

By Paola Nano