Supporting quality of life and mental well-being have become a major focus for hospitality employers, according to a new study by Kendall College, “Advancing Health and Well-Being in Hospitality: Employers Respond to New Workforce Expectations.” The study involved in-depth surveys with 45 Chicago-area hotels and restaurants, supported by data from 401 U.S. food service providers collected by the research firm Datassential, collected between Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

“People are more aware of the physical and mental toll working in the hospitality industry can take,” said Deborah Popely, DBA, professor of hospitality management and the study’s lead investigator. “TV shows like ‘The Bear’ dramatically portray these challenges, but also demonstrate that it is possible to improve the workplace culture.”

The research, which took place between Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, sought to understand evolving workforce expectations related to health and well-being and to examine how employers are attempting to respond. The findings confirmed that workers are seeking healthy, safe and inclusive work environments with reliable, supportive people who take employees’ health and well-being into consideration. The findings also showed increased investment by employers in strategies to support quality of life and mental well-being of employees. Preliminary findings were discussed at a Kendall-sponsored industry conference in April. The final study found that:

• Turnover continues to stress operations: The research highlighted how high turnover begets more turnover as the pressures of short staffing and inflexible scheduling lead to physical and emotional burnout. Low pay, long hours and abuse from peers and guests were cited as other major turnover contributors, in particular by restaurant respondents. Adequate compensation and flexibility (e.g., scheduling that supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle) top the list of job candidate considerations, along with traditional concerns about titles and opportunities for advancement.

• Quality of life takes center stage: Employers are touting quality-of-life factors such as paid time off, limited overtime, reduced scheduling/40-hour work weeks, and extended personal/parental leave. Well-being efforts often include fitness memberships, tuition reimbursement, retirement planning, and discounts on products and services. A small segment, mostly restaurants, is also focusing on inclusion and social justice.

• Employers are investing in mental health: EAPs and other mental health services were the most frequently cited offerings in the Kendall Survey, along with wellness workshops or training and yoga/meditation/relaxation. Nearly half of the Datassential foodservice sample claimed to offer health benefits that cover mental health and well-being services, such as therapy or medication, along with a time or place to take a timeout and de-stress for employees. Flexible scheduling that takes into account the employees’ personal needs was mentioned repeatedly as a strategy for supporting mental well-being.

“In the past, the burden of coping with the physical and emotional challenges of the erratic hospitality workplace was on the employee. It is heartening to find that so many operators are taking more responsibility for creating a healthy workplace culture by addressing working conditions,” said Popely.

Noting that the sample was small and self-selected, Popely argued that the data reveal the beginning of a long-coming transformation that has implications for the nature of work and the well-being of millions in the hospitality sector. At the same time, a large segment of the sample (more than 30 percent) did not report specific wellness offerings and some respondents reacted negatively to the idea of providing well-being support to employees. This is not surprising, since owners and managers themselves face difficult operational and financial barriers, especially in the restaurant sector with its demanding hours, intense pace and razor-thin profit margins.

According to the study, few participants had concrete plans to evaluate the impact of their well-being strategies to determine which interventions work best and why. Whether these efforts persist, and in what form, is a subject for future research. “We need to know what is effective for both the individual and the organization so that managers know where to direct their limited time and resources,” said Popely.

The research was conducted with the assistance of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, the Illinois Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association and the James Beard Foundation. The foodservice research firm Datassential collaborated with the Kendall College research team to include two questions in its May survey of food service providers.

The full study is available at https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/kc/3/. Direct any questions or comments about the study to Deborah Popely, DBA, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..