Advice hub.
Advice hub.
From financial worries, to housing, relationships and grief. We find ourselves coming to terms with a new reality and all the anxiety uncertainty brings. For many of us a career in hospitality isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. But many businesses are facing huge pressure and many are facing closure, putting livelihoods in peril.
Pre-existing mental health conditions, addictions, or family tensions can worsen during these uncertain times. We have designed this hub to collate the best of our advice; to direct you to the services and help we can provide; and to connect you with other organisations who can help.
We will do our best to keep these pages updated throughout the ongoing cost of living crisis. Additionally, you can find up-to-date and reliable advice on Government and NHS websites.
If you would like to talk to someone in confidence about your mental health, please call our 24/7 helpline on 0808 802 0282 or if your company subscribes to the EAP call 0808 802 2111 (UK), or 1800 911 121 (Irl). Calls are free from landlines and most mobile phones.
Need some advice today?
We know that sometimes it's hard to reach out and talk to someone when you're feeling stuck. So we've worked with our partners Payplan, and our friendly Avatar Advisor 'Ava', to create a series of videos to help you through life's rough patches.
From your rights as a rental tenant to council tax rules, we'll cover a new topic each week to help you get back on your feet.
And as always, you can reach out to us on 0808 802 0282 any time of day or night for help right away.
Hospitality and the Cost of Living Crisis.
Last year’s energy-cap announcements added to the financial stress and anxiety for many hospitality people and their employers with large increases in energy costs for households and hospitality businesses.
This further hike in energy costs alongside the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the impact on inflation of rapidly increasing food and fuel prices and rising interest rates are all contributing to the UK’s cost of living crisis.
All of these factors mean a drop in ‘real wages’, in other words money isn’t going as far is it did. This also applies to benefits payments which are not currently being increased to keep pace with the rate of inflation.
The Bank of England warned that household incomes were likely to fall by 3.6% in 2022 and 4.3% in 2023, the largest collapse in living standards since records began sixty years ago.
Lower income households will be hit the hardest because they spend a larger proportion of their income on food and fuel, have little or no savings and therefore don’t have the financial resilience to deal with the increases in the cost of living.
The reality facing many people working in hospitality is that they will need to look at ways of reducing spending to deal with price rises by cutting out non-essential services, looking at how they budget, changing shopping habits and reducing energy usage.
Mental wellbeing during the Cost-of-Living crisis.
There is a clear link between financial instability and poor mental health.
Find out moreStay financially fit.
Check that you're getting the best possible value for money and that money problems don't escalate.
Find out moreThe help you're entitled to.
A key factor is for people to ensure that their households are claiming all the support that they are entitled to. Find out here what help households across the UK can access; what financial support the Government has and will provide; and how to check benefit entitlements.
Find out moreAvoid Loan Sharks.
Scammers and illegal money lenders are capitalising on the current crisis causing more misery to those who can ill afford to fall victim.
Find out moreWhat should people do if they can’t pay afford to pay their utility bills?
Find out moreHow can Hospitality Action help?
Hospitality Action offers services to help support financial and emotional wellbeing including help with debt and advice to get your finances under control via our partnership with PayPlan and hardship grants to help with household costs. To find out more visit Get Help or call our helpline on 0808 802 0282 or if your company subscribes to the EAP call 0808 802 2111 (UK) or 1800 911 121 (Irl).
If you have worked in another industry sector also check to see if you can access grants from other charities here.
With ongoing recruitment and retention challenges in the hospitality industry putting in place a range of support for the physical and emotional wellbeing of your employees is increasingly important alongside the right training and tools to get the job done. Research is increasingly demonstrating the links between physical and emotional wellbeing and engagement at work, improved productivity and a reduction in absenteeism. Put simply the better employees feel, the more they are able to bring their best selves to work and that’s good for employees, managers, customers and employers alike.
This section provides information on workplace issues for both employees and employers including how best to support team members experiencing poor mental health; how to be assertive as an employee; and how to have a difficult conversation as an employer.
Emergency situations (as an employer).
When the worst happens, you need to be ready to support your team.
Find out moreAre you a good boss?
In a stressful environment we may not present ourselves as we had hoped to, this guide will help you reflect and improve.
Find out moreUnderstanding Redundancy.
There needs to be a valid and lawful reason for redundancies to take place.
Find out moreStudies on human resilience tell us that our physical capacities are deeply intertwined with our emotional states. So while a healthy diet and plenty of exercise are necessary for good mental health, we need to feel relatively well to be able to really practice sound physical self care. The conclusion then, is that we have to work on both sides of the mind/body divide if we are to feel truly healthy and relaxed.
This section provides information about Mental Health Issues; addiction; coping with uncertainty; coping with illness and managing anger. It also takes a look at nutrition and exercise; and ways to get better sleep.
Addiction.
Drink, Drugs, Gambling - learn how to spot the signs of addictive behaviours.
Find out moreStress and Anxiety.
It’s important to recognise and address feelings of stress and anxiety before they worsen.
Find out moreManaging Anger.
In the heat of service tempers can fray, but it’s important to keep them in check.
Find out moreSuicide Awareness.
Too many hospitality people die by suicide, learn about the warning signs and prevention strategies.
Find out moreCoping with Uncertainty.
The future is unpredictable, and uncertainty can eat away at our self-esteem and productivity.
Find out moreCoping with illness.
Being diagnosed with an illness can come as a shock, learn about how to cope and get support.
Find out moreBetter Sleep.
Late nights and varied working hours can take their toll on wellbeing, learn what affects your sleep and top tips to get a good night’s rest.
Find out moreNutrition and Exercise.
A good diet and regular exercise are vital to our mental wellbeing, but it can be hard to find a balance.
Find out moreAt Hospitality Action, we are on a mission to help everyone in hospitality access advice and help to support their mental health and wellbeing whenever they need it.
We work alongside hospitality operators by providing a range of training courses designed to develop a happier, healthier and more productive culture where mental health is discussed openly, and proactive and preventative support is at the heart of the workplace. Our courses have been designed to empower and upskill participants to approach mental health and wellbeing with increased knowledge and confidence in relation to their own mental health and that of their colleagues.
Our Training Courses are available to anyone operating a hospitality business, many of which are discounted for our EAP clients.
Mental Health First Aid Training.
We are pleased to be able to offer regular, accredited Mental Health First Aid Courses.
Our trainers are not only highly experienced in practise and teaching, they're also hospitality professionals who understand the context in which the course will be applied.
Thanks to our EAP, you add extra layers of support for your teams with clear referral pathways to address any issues and additional support for your MHFA practitioners.
Course dates and overviewCritical Incidents and On-site Trauma Support.
When the worst happens, a well-drilled emergency response needs to kick in at every level of your business. In the hours, days and weeks following a traumatic episode and as operations slowly return to normal teams may still be coming to terms with what has happened.
We are experts in providing layers of psychological support to help organisations and their teams recover from a crisis. We have supported businesses on-site who have been impacted by terror attacks, fire, acts of violence or the sudden death of a colleague or guest.
Our critical incident support is made available for EAP customers at a reduced rate. However, any operator can access our service designed specifically for the hospitality industry.
To find out more email eap@hospitalityaction.org.uk and one of the EAP Team will contact you.
Our bespoke Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a care package that provides peace of mind to employers and a range of specialist, independent and confidential support services to employees.
Hospitality Action Helpline.
0808 802 0282 (24/7)
EAP Assistance Line.
UK: 0808 802 2111 (24/7)
Irl: 1800 911 121 (24/7)
Support Platform.
URGENT HELP:
The information provided by Hospitality Action is not a substitute for seeking medical assistance or advice if required. If you are unwell, have any medical concerns or issues or if you are having thoughts of harming yourself or others you should seek professional assistance urgently. Consider calling NHS 111 or go online at 111.nhs.uk; ring the emergency services if the situation is urgent on 999 or your GP to make an urgent appointment (if the surgery is closed a message should direct you to the Out of Hours GP). If you feel you are unable to keep yourself or others safe then you should go straight to A & E.
