New, independent research conducted by CatererGlobal.com has revealed its 2020 insights into the hospitality sector. Surveying 1,500 respondents globally, hospitality industry workers in the Middle East made up 46 percent of respondents.
Launched during CatererGlobal’s Annual Insight Event, held this year in webinar format, the findings focus on key themes currently affecting the hospitality industry, including training and development, wellbeing and leadership, and the impact of COVID-19.
The report uncovered significant findings regarding the industry’s mental health and wellbeing, with over half (54 percent) of respondents admitting to feeling as though the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their mental health and wellbeing – citing ‘feelings of isolation’, ‘concern for own and others’ health’ and ‘concern for financial / job security’ as factors which caused the most worry.
Notably, though the pandemic caused significant concerns for employee’s mental health, less than a third (32 percent) of respondents cited their employers as offering any formal or structured support to address such issues.
Of the employers who do offer support to address mental health & wellbeing, 62 percent of their workforce have utilised the service, demonstrating the necessity of these initiatives. On a reassuring note, 72 percent reported feeling physically safe in their roles.
2019 results for the CatererGlobal survey revealed a highly mobilised UAE workforce, with results this year similarly noting the high propensity for change, with 67 percent of respondents stating that they’re looking to make a career move within the next 12 months – with 54 percent of those looking to develop their career by changing employer.
Training and development was addressed, both in the findings and webinar discussion. In relation to the pandemic, 43 percent said their employers had provided training in order to ‘upskill’ their staff outside of their current department, yet only half (49 percent) of respondents claimed their businesses delivered staff programmes in response to the pandemic.
