While psychological safety is an increasingly popular topic, not everyone is able to exhibit it at work. Research from the University of Exeter reveals, for instance, how hospitality workers were generally unable to challenge unsafe working conditions or bad practice during the Covid pandemic.

The study shows that many workers in this sector operate on zero-hour contracts, which made them often unable to raise any concerns they had to their managers. They were also faced with a constantly changing regulatory environment as Covid restrictions were updated. All of this while also trying to maintain safety for themselves at a time when both the pandemic was raging and frustrated customers would often become aggressive.

“Participants experienced significant mental health consequences due to the pandemic and higher workloads: anxiety about transmission; stress from work precarity and intensification, and from public health responsibility,” the researchers explain.

Unsafe practice

Safety would often be particularly compromised during busy periods, where managers would prioritize getting more customers through the door than maintaining things such as social distancing or cleaning protocols.

This tended to place a considerable strain on the relationship between workers and managers, with workers often resorting to reinforcing relationships with colleagues to cope with the stress.

“Some participants no longer found work fulfilling or manageable. Their physical health was often affected, and many reported extra unpaid labor at home due to COVID-19 precautions,” the authors continue. “They missed casual interactions with the public, which had been a major source of job satisfaction for some people in hospitality, pre-pandemic.”

The report recommends:

• Employers should be required to provide protective equipment and undertake risk assessments in consultation with union reps.
• Effective trade unions are needed in all hospitality workplaces. Where possible, this should include health and safety reps.
• Employers should support hospitality workers who are experiencing abuse or harassment from customers and create formal protocols and a zero-tolerance policy to protect staff.
• For the safety of delivery drivers, customers, and staff, employers should facilitate delivery drivers’ access to takeaway orders. Collection points and routes to facilities should be clear and easily accessed.
• Employers and governments should invite hospitality workers to give input on their safety, environment, and work tasks. Where possible, they should be granted democratic power and an active and involved role in decision-making.
• The health and safety of staff and customers need to be prioritized, even when this comes at a cost to the business.
• Hospitality workers should be given better pay and working conditions. They should be provided statutory sick pay protection with no lower earnings limit, at least at the value of the real living wage. Zero-hours contracts should be banned.
• In times of crisis, government furlough should be 100% of workers’ income, at real living wage, and available flexibly for all hospitality workers for as long as circumstances are unsafe.
• Workers who have a high concern about transmission/health and safety should not be penalized if they refuse to attend their workplace.
• Commercial landlords should be prevented from seeking full rent whilst venues are forced to be closed.
• More public toilets are urgently needed in all areas of the UK, particularly facilities which are well-maintained, free of charge, gender-neutral, and accessible.