Catering Scotland

The short breaks, long working hours and high pressure working environment associated with the catering industry all contribute to poor well-being for some employees. Research by Mind has reported that 45% of workers feel they are expected to cope with work stress in silence, while 31% felt they can’t openly talk to their line manager if they felt stressed. Fortunately, there are myriad ways to combat stress in the workplace. Here are a few of the most effective…

Kitchen lifts and dumbwaiters can reduce both physical and mental stress on employees

The body’s reaction to pressures and changes which can result in physical, emotional, and mental symptoms, stress releases cortisol, a hormone which puts us in fight-or-flight mode. Often a normal part of life, stress can often be useful to help us get motivated to accomplish tasks efficiently, even boosting memory.

However, too much stress can be detrimental. Symptoms include:

• Inability to concentrate
• Chest pain
• Body aches and pains
• Irritability
• Frequent colds
• Insomnia
• Low energy
• Changes in appetite
• Anger
• Feeling depressed

There’s a perceived lack of control working in this industry, and challenging customers, long working hours, rowdy bars and an endless amount of cleaning can all contribute to stress in the workplace. Likewise, financial strains are also a common theme, with some employers paying low wages, offering only zero-hour contracts, an others distributing tips unfairly.  How you manage these signs of stress is what matters the most.

Happy employees are hardworking employees

Focusing on employee satisfaction levels, Perkbox organisation revealed that 64% of hospitality-related businesses fail to offer any sort of techniques to relieve feelings of stress in employees.

Trying to reduce the stigma around stress and encouraging staff to come forward with any problems will help create a network of help and trust.

The best approach to take is to try to acknowledge and understand symptoms, reduce stress, and seek help if appropriate. If as an employer you’re unsure about how to deal with supporting your workers, contact Mind or Samaritans for free advice.

www.ulifeline.org/articles/450-good-stress-bad-stress

www.essentiallycatering.co.uk/issue30/recognising-and-managing-stress/