A quantitative survey study to explore how individuals working in hospitality perceive work impacts on their health.

Abstract

Background: In the United Kingdom (UK), the hospitality industry is a major source of employment. However, although research has been conducted on the mental health effects of working in this industry, there is a lack of research on the physical and indirect effects. Therefore, this study employed a quantitative approach using surveys distributed through social media to investigate the perceptions of hospitality workers and their views on how their work affects their overall health and wellbeing.

Methods: An online survey was created using Google Forms and was distributed via the researcher’s personal social media accounts. The survey was completed by current or former hospitality workers of any gender, of all ages and from all areas of the UK. The survey asked questions regarding demographic characteristics, how participants felt that their work has impacted upon their health, and how sustainable they believe a career in the hospitality sector to be.

 Results: The survey gathered responses from 71 individuals, and the main findings indicated that over half perceived negative effects on their sleep, diet, stress levels, social life, and overall health since beginning work in the hospitality industry. Additionally, most respondents (62%) reported using unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking or alcohol to deal with work-related stress. More than half of the participants (53.5%) reported insufficient time to attend to their personal needs outside of work, and a similar percentage (60.5%) felt that the demands of hospitality work had led to an inadequate work-life balance. Almost all participants (92.9%) reported experiencing joint and muscle pain because of their work in the hospitality sector.

Conclusion: The results of the survey suggest that working in the hospitality sector can have a significant impact not only on mental health, but also on physical health and overall wellbeing. The high proportion of respondents reporting negative impacts on sleep, diet, stress levels, social life, and general health, as well as their use of unhealthy coping mechanisms, highlights the need for increased attention to the health and wellbeing of hospitality workers. The finding that most respondents did not feel they had adequate time to attend to their personal needs outside of work and had poor work-life balance further emphasizes the importance of improving working conditions and practices in the industry. Overall, the study indicates that more efforts are needed to protect and support the health and wellbeing of workers in the hospitality sector.