Join our mission to improve the mental wellness of the industry.

Hospitality Action and Compass are working together with Pladis and the Savoy Educational Trust to encourage the whole industry to have a year-long focus on protecting the mental health of its workers.

Our campaign aims to dispel the stigma attached to mental health problems around the hospitality industry and to provide support to those who need it by equipping operators with the knowledge, resources and tools they need to safeguard against situations that could result in a mental health crisis.

Why we're doing it.

Hospitality can be a challenging industry in which to work, with many factors such as long hours and the adrenaline of service contributing to increased stress levels. HA research in 2018 found that:

• Four out of five hospitality workers find their job stressful some or most of time.
• Half describe their job as stressful most or all of time.
• Four out of five believe stress levels have increased in the past three years.
• Over half (56%) do not make employers aware of mental health problems.
• Meanwhile, suicide - already the single biggest killer of men under 45 in UK – has a disproportionate prevalence in the hospitality sector.

What to expect.

We believe that the only way we're going help the industry improve its mental health, is to break down the barriers that prevent us talking about our problems and feelings.

We're working with a panel of industry experts to create resources that help managers and staff open up to one another. You can expect videos, case studies, training courses, help-sheets and even face-to-face events at all the key moments throughout the year.

Everything we do will be added to this page and our blog, so be sure to check back often.

Resources.

Mental health & the Coronavirus.

We have produced a new help sheet on Coronavirus and Mental Health which includes advice on safeguarding mental wellbeing during this difficult time as well as a list of trusted resources to help ensure your teams are signposted to accurate and timely information.

Starting a mental health conversation.

We all have mental health. Sometimes we feel good and sometimes we don’t. The ability to talk about our own mental health and spot the signs others may be struggling are vitally important components in our mental health campaign.

The first thing to say is that you shouldn’t ever feel guilty about your response a mental health issue, whether your own or somebody else’s. And, if a friend talks to you about their mental health, it’s not your responsibility to protect their well-being if they open-up to you.

What we’d like to do is equip you with the skills to spot the signs, to give you the confidence to make the first step and signpost you to organisations, us included, who can help.

Here are some thoughts on how you can start a conversation

• Download our free helpsheet packed with helpful tips to help you spot the signs in yourself and others and how to engage in a conversation about feelings or concerns.
• Show Nyall’s film in your next team meeting and encourage anybody with a concern to approach you, somebody else they trust, or to call us.
• Don’t wait for the perfect moment - Just build a conversation into the working day. The idea is to normalise conversations about mental health, not over-dramatize them. People are likelier to speak openly when they’re going about their day’s work and don’t feel under scrutiny.
• It’s okay that you’re not an expert and always call us, your EAP provider or The Samaritans if you’re worried. In an emergency situation there's always a duty psychiatrist at any A&E unit who can make an intervention.
• Any conversation is good, face to face, a text, WhatsApp or email – what ever seems best in the circumstances

If you’re worried or feel you need additional help call us in complete confidence and free of charge on 0808 802 0282

Addiction.

Any addictive behaviour is often the first sign of a deeper underlying issue and can often be the initial indicator that something is wrong.

Addictions can take many guises some of which are more obvious than others so it can be hard to identify them at an early stage before they become obvious and out of control.  

An open conversation about addictive behaviours could well be a stepping stone into getting somebody to open up about a deeper issue. Sadly, addiction is common in our industry and the high pressure of the job, a work-hard play-hard culture, long hours and close proximity to alcohol or other substances all play their part. 

We understand that's a difficult conversation to approach so we produced an addiction awareness film.

It's a free resource for employers to broach this delicate subject. The film features chefs Phil Howard and Tom Kerridge who talk openly about their own experiences. 

Suicide.

19 year old Nyall Brown was a front of house manager in Cromer, Norfolk. He took his own life in May 2018.

Nyall's parents want to share his story in the hope that others in our industry who are experiencing a mental health problem will seek help before a problem escalates.

Nyall 'smiley' Brown appeared to be a happy young man. Popular, fit and healthy with an infectious smile, a job he enjoyed and a big network of friends. Nyall's death sent a shockwave throughout his whole community.

Nyall didn't know about organisations like Hospitality Action who may have been able to help him. And until his first suicide attempt his parents didn't know how serious his situation had become.

There are many people like Nyall in our industry, coming in to work each day, working a shift and going home. 

Behind their smiles and their game faces dark thoughts are driving them towards destructive behaviours, addiction and self-harm.