Burnout, stress and working rights breaches make up majority of hospitality workers' experiences

One respondent said: '[Tips are] split among staff regardless of who takes it. Which really sucks if you’ve spent the whole time serving a table and making sure they have a great time, only for them to leave a large tip, which you receive a fraction of.' File picture: SkitterPhoto/Pexels

Breaches of employment rights, high levels of stress, burnout and poor workplace conditions dominate the hospitality sector in Ireland, according to recent findings. 

The research carried out by the University of Galway examined attitudes within the sector, working conditions, worker attraction, and factors contributing to turnover. 

The findings are based on 736 responses collected from hospitality workers in Ireland last year. It is the largest independent study of its kind to date. 

The data suggest a persistent gap between industry demands and the support available to workers, reflecting long-standing issues affecting retention, well-being, and performance.

Some 11% said they are not being paid for every hour they worked. Additionally, 22% said they did not get a written statement of their terms of employment, while 13% said they did not receive regular, detailed payslips. 

While over half said they were paid above the legal minimum wage, 6% said they were paid below minimum wage. In regards to tips, 31% said they regularly received extra pay in that manner. Some 33% said they never received extra pay. 

One respondent said: "[Tips are] split among staff regardless of who takes it. Which really sucks if you’ve spent the whole time serving a table and making sure they have a great time, only for them to leave a large tip, which you receive a fraction of."

Another said the "majority [of tips] goes to the front of house, and back of house staff gets a minority share. Salary employees don’t get tips."

Additionally, 64% of respondents said they felt "emotionally drained" by their work, while 71% stated that they felt "used up" at the end of their workday. 

Bullying

A further 53% said they witnessed bullying or harassment, while 38% said they experienced bullying or harassment. 

Breaking it down, 41% of respondents said they experienced verbal abuse, while 22% said they were victims of psychological abuse. Racial, sexual, homophobic, and physical abuse sat at 9%, 8%, 2% and 6% respectively.

The most common perpetrators of bullying and harassment were owners, managers, supervisors, customers and co-workers. 

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One respondent said bullying and harassment are "often not reported because of the environment. People just deal with it in a way because it’s seen as part of the job".

Lead on the study at J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at University of Galway, Deirdre Curran, said these results will "be of direct interest to policymakers, employer representative bodies, trade unions, employers, students and teachers of hospitality and employment relations, and those working in hospitality".

The research is part of the Global Hospitality Research Alliance, which examines working conditions in hospitality sectors across the Global North and South.