As the holiday season ramps up, HR services company UKG is urging party-goers to show kindness to frontline hospitality and food service workers who bear the brunt of festive stress and abuse.
Research conducted by UKG reveals that a 22% of frontline hospitality and foodservice workers report that customers have negatively impacted their physical health with a further 23% saying it had negatively impacted their mental health.
The survey, part of UKG’s Perspectives from the Frontline Workers report, found that nearly a quarter (24%) of frontline hospitality and foodservice workers considered quitting their jobs due to customer behaviour, and a third (30%) are feeling burnt out. Unsurprisingly, 43% expressed a need for more customer service training to better handle difficult situations.
However, the answer doesn’t lie solely in upskilling. “In recent years, the hospitality and foodservice industry has faced numerous challenges that threaten the safety and wellbeing of its workers. From the pandemic to political instability and the cost-of-living crisis, these issues highlight the urgent need to implement measures that protect the workforce.” says Neil Pickering, Senior Manager, Human Insights, at UKG.
Continuing, he added: “Over the festive period, workforce management technology, like UKG, can play a part in ensuring our hospitality workers are in the right place, at the right time, to serve customers. I urge all diners to be kind and respectful to our hard working hospitality colleagues during the Christmas holidays and the year ahead.”
