Taking the
Temperature 2026
The results.

In association with

Why we keep
Taking the Temperature.

START

Our Taking the Temperature survey was first commissioned as a one-off study before Covid and repeated during the pandemic to understand the extraordinary circumstances facing our industry. What followed was a sustained period of pressure — from global conflict and the cost-of-living crisis to rising employment costs and business rates. Hospitality has had to absorb it all.

NOW

At the same time, ours remains a brilliant, caring industry. Businesses go the extra mile every day to look after their customers and each other. We have continued to invest in Taking the Temperature so we can track how the people at the sharp end are really doing, understand the trends developing over time, and evolve Hospitality Action’s support to help businesses help their people.

NEXT

The survey has become a trusted benchmark for the sector. By sharing the aggregate findings online, we want to give operators and policymakers a useful resource: one that shows what hospitality people really think and where practical changes could make their working lives better.

Fieldwork took place online between mid-May and mid-June 2026 with 639 participants from a broad mix of sectors, roles and levels of seniority.

Progress is visible.
But those supporting others are under pressure too.

%
say they have a good
work/life balance
(59% in 2025)
%
have experienced
mental health
challenges in adult life
%
of managers who experienced a mental health issue in the past year say it was triggered by their work
%
say their workplace
enables open discussion
of mental health
%
of those affected say
their mental health
challenge was triggered
by work in hospitality
NEW FOR 2026

Work/life balance remains the biggest personal challenge ahead.

What would you say are going to be the three biggest challenges for you personally over the next 12 months?
Managing a good work/life balance remains the number-one personal challenge for the next 12 months, although it is less dominant than last year.

Mental health and finances remain close behind, while making time to relax has increased.

Flexibility and fair workloads help.
Burnout and under-resourcing pull the other way.

Reasons for good work/life balance.

Which of the following reasons do you think contribute to you having a good work/life balance?

Reasons for poor work/life balance.

Which of the following do you believe contribute to your work/life balance?

Three-quarters have experienced mental health challenges.

Have you experienced any mental health challenges in your adult life?
Mental health challenges remain a significant and persistent issue across hospitality. After rising sharply between 2018 and 2024, the proportion of respondents who have experienced mental health challenges in their adult life has remained broadly stable over the past three years.

While the slight decline since 2024 is encouraging, 74% of respondents are still affected – considerably higher than the 56% recorded when Taking the Temperature first began in 2018.

Open conversations are becoming part of the culture.

My workplace has created a working environment where people can openly discuss mental health within the team.
Two-thirds say their workplace has created an environment where people can openly discuss mental health.

The improvement seen in 2025 has held in 2026.

Comfort is edging up – particularly as fewer feel completely unable to talk.

How comfortable would you be discussing mental health concerns with your employer?
55% say they would feel comfortable discussing mental health concerns with their employer.

The overall movement is modest, but the proportion saying they are “not at all comfortable” has fallen from 17% to 11%.

Talking may be easier.
Fear of the consequences remains.

Concern about vocalising a mental health challenge / willingness to vocalise.
Despite signs of greater openness, six in ten remain concerned that vocalising a mental health challenge could negatively affect progression within their organisation.

The headline number is slowly moving in the right direction, but the concern remains widespread.

Under-resourcing still leads the list while pay continues to climb.

What do you think are the main challenges that impact wellbeing in your organisation?
Under-resourcing remains the biggest organisational wellbeing pressure, followed by workload expectations and pay.

Compared with 2025, several pressures have eased, but pay and job security have increased.

When people need advice, they still turn to people outside work first.

In order of priority, how likely are you to turn to the following for advice?
Hospitality workplaces may be becoming more open about mental health, but when people need advice or support, their first instinct is still to turn to those closest to them.

Family and partners rank first, followed by friends and medical professionals, while workplace support such as colleagues, EAPs, mental health first aiders, managers and HR sit further down the list.

Listening is the first response from managers.

What support are you able to provide as an employer if an employee approaches you for support with a mental health issue?
When an employee approaches a manager with a mental health issue, taking time to listen is the most common response: 83% of managers say this is support they provide.

EAP signposting and changes to working patterns follow. This reinforces the practical, people-facing role managers are already playing in workplace wellbeing.

Managers need to be better equipped and supported themselves.

What additional support or initiatives would you like to see implemented in the workplace to help identify issues with mental health and wellbeing?
Almost half of respondents want more management training to help leaders recognise and respond to mental health and wellbeing concerns, closely followed by assurance of job security and confidentiality.

The finding supports a clear message: managers play a pivotal role, but they should not be expected to carry workplace wellbeing alone.