By Indiana Lee, Contributor
Restaurant employee well-being is key to kitchen productivity and front-of-house service. Motivated staff with great morale are far more likely to provide an exceptional dining experience than folks who are burnt out and overworked.
However, finding ways to promote well-being in the restaurant industry can be tricky. Most cafes and kitchens are high-pressure environments that require chefs and serving staff to work with perfect precision to produce perfect plates in a timely manner.
Restaurant managers can mitigate work risks and boost morale by focusing their efforts on schemes to improve the mental health and well-being of staff. Even simple changes, like offering gym memberships and childcare services, can make a huge difference to the maître d and sous-chefs that make the dining experience special.
Health and Safety
Health and safety are often overlooked in the quest for greater employee well-being in the restaurant industry. However, kitchen staff are put at real risk of harm when working with high temperatures, sharp knives, and boiling pots of water. At a minimum, restaurant managers who want to promote well-being should help staff to meet safety standards with training techniques like:
On-the-Job Training: Every restaurant has its own policies and procedures in place to mitigate risk. Experienced staff can show new employees how to navigate the space safely while getting hands-on experience with the kitchen’s equipment.
Classroom Training: Classroom training can be particularly effective if staff need to be re-trained. Restaurant managers can pay their staff to attend classroom workshops led by safety professionals in the restaurant industry.
Restaurant managers should respond to changes in the work environment that threaten to undermine staff safety, too. For example, during the warm summer months, restaurateurs can protect staff from extreme heat by changing operating hours, releasing more cold items to the menu, or other cooling techniques. This minimizes the risk of heat stroke and shows staff that they work in a safe environment.
Restaurant managers should also have a strategy to mitigate the health risks associated with old age. Experienced chefs and waiters are carrying decades of wear and tear and may be at a higher risk of issues like exhaustion and chronic injuries. Restaurateurs can mitigate risk by creating more ergonomic workstations and offering accommodations to experienced professionals.
Wellness Benefits and Gifts
Gifts and benefits can make a real difference to an employee’s quality of life. Simple gestures of appreciation make a huge difference to morale in the restaurant industry as many staff work long hours in a stressful work environment.
Restaurateurs who want to show their love for a special chef or a hard-working pot washer can consider unique wellness gifts like:
Tea sets
Self-care boxes
Smartwatches
Fitness gear
Vouchers for personal items
A robust benefits program can also improve staff morale and well-being. At a minimum, a good benefits program should be able to offer flexible rewards like:
Childcare
Gym memberships
Robust health insurance packages
Retirement perks
Unlimited sick days
These benefits may seem like an expensive way to show appreciation, however, treating staff like valued customers is the best way to attract talented, self-motivated employees. Folks who feel they have a life outside of work and are cared for at work are far more likely to contribute positively to the restaurant and will repay the investment with higher productivity and loyalty.
Supportive Resources
Serving up souffle and parboiling potatoes can take a toll on employees' mental health and well-being. While a robust benefits program may mitigate some stress, staff still need to be given plenty of supportive resources to bolster mental well-being and morale.
Restaurateurs who are serious about well-being should look into peer-to-peer support. Patrick Mulvaney, head chef at Mulvaney B&L in Sacramento, California, explains peer-to-peer support gives staff a chance to host “a discussion at the beginning of each shift.” Peer-to-peer counselors undergo training to ensure that they are able to give solid, research-driven mental health advice when needed.
Employers should follow up by offering alcohol and substance abuse use support in the workplace. Research by the American Addictions Center suggests that individuals who work in the restaurant industry are “prone to heavy workloads, long work days, few meal breaks, and late-night shifts.” This high-stress environment may be why 19% of food services workers report using illicit drugs in the past month, while a further 17% have been diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder.
By promoting well-being at work, restaurateurs ensure that their employees know how to find support. Staff who do come forward with substance abuse disorders should be given paid time off work to seek help and work through the challenges they are facing.
Conclusion
Employee well-being is key to effective restaurant management in the 21st century. Mitigating work risks and boosting morale will keep staff safe and happy while working in a high-pressure, collaborative environment. Restaurateurs can double down on their commitment to well-being by offering perks and gifts that promote well-being and help staff enjoy life away from work.
