Mental Health Struggles On The Rise For Hotel And Hospitality Professionals

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week back in May, UK charity, Hospitality Action launched its first mental health survey in four years. Mike Fletcher details the findings released this week. 

Short for time? Scroll to the bottom to discover the key takeaways.

Hotel and other UK hospitality workers have reported a significant rise in mental health struggles since the pandemic, according to the findings of a report published by the charity, Hospitality Action. 

The proportion of hospitality workers reporting mental health issues has risen from 64% at the height of the pandemic in 2020 to more than three-quarters (76%) today.

Over two-thirds (69%) of respondents said that they have experienced mental health challenges in the last five years since Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis, half (49%) over the previous two years alone.

When asked to identify the top three challenges they were personally likely to face in the next 12 months, managing a good work/life balance (60%) was cited as the primary issue, closely followed by mental health (44%) and finances (42%).

The correlation between deteriorating finances, poor mental health and workplace pressure is borne out by the surge in calls the charity says it has experienced to its helplines over recent months.

When considering the main challenges facing their workplace generally, respondents thought work/life balance (45%), high expectations/workload (43%) and long hours (40%) were the issues most likely to impact organisational wellbeing.

A key concern for employers should be how opinion is divided regarding whether hospitality organisations adequately support employee wellbeing. While two-thirds of respondents believe that their employer creates an environment where their mental health can be openly discussed and that they have a good work-life balance (62% agree), more than a third of employees (38%) do not feel either statement is true.

This ‘lost third’ tends to be in more operational roles and is generally amongst less experienced team members, highlighting the need for employers to ensure nobody is left behind.

Just over half of respondents would be comfortable discussing their mental health with their employer (52%). However, two-thirds (65%) stated that they would be reticent to vocalise a mental health challenge due to fears it could negatively impact their career progression, a vital point employers must address if they are to succeed in fostering a truly supportive and open work culture.

Encouragingly, 85% of respondents feel they can recognise the signs to look out for if a colleague is struggling and 79% would start a conversation.

Regarding the assistance most likely to be offered to an employee citing a mental health issue, almost three-quarters (71%) of employers said they would look to change working patterns to help.

Key takeaways (1-3)

• UK hospitality workers have reported a significant increase in mental health issues since the pandemic with 76% experiencing concerns in 2024, a steep rise from 64% in 2020.
• The top challenges faced by these workers in the coming year are managing a good work/life balance (60%), mental health struggles (44%), and financial issues (42%).
• Although two-thirds of workers believe their employers provide a supportive environment for discussing mental health, over one-third (38%) do not agree, highlighting a gap that needs to be addressed for the wellbeing of all employees.

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