The food service industry is stressful and demanding. From working night shifts to dealing with difficult customers, it’s not uncommon for employees to leave work feeling low.
The larger concern, though, is when a pattern of bad shifts, anti-social hours, and repetitive tasks starts to have more of a serious impact on mental health.
Links Between Mental Health and Food Service
The links between poor mental health and the restaurant industry are becoming increasingly apparent.
An analysis of global studies, which included 17 US studies, found that food and bar workers experience elevated levels of burnout, depression, and anxiety.
High emotional loads and little control over situations are leading to a drop in mental wellbeing, putting service employees at risk.
There’s also a worrying link between service staff and substance abuse, with a study finding that almost 20% of restaurant servers used illicit drugs in the past month.
This isn’t isolated to fast-food restaurants and diners. In upscale restaurants, a review found that 34% of employees were stressed and 38% were depressed, while over half experienced anxiety.
Tipped and Untipped Work
When looking into the link between mental health and restaurant or bar work, it’s important to note that tips make a difference. Women in tipped food service work had a higher chance of either reporting symptoms of depression or receiving a depression diagnosis when compared to non-tipped restaurants.
This is likely caused by a number of reasons, including the precarious income of tipped work and the demand for faultless customer service. Tipped service workers also tend to have less access to health insurance, regular shifts, and paid leave, all of which could worsen mental well-being.
Why Is There a Mental Health Problem?
Mental wellness and restaurant work are obviously linked, but why? Let’s take a look at some common issues to learn more.
Customer Service Demands
No matter how you’re feeling, the service industry demands you turn up with a smile. This can be incredibly difficult when you’re struggling with mental health, exacerbating existing symptoms and leading to burnout.
Rude customers and high-pressure situations can also trigger or worsen mental health issues like chronic stress and anxiety. With no one to help, employees can feel they have no control over the situation.
Anti-Social Shift Patterns
Food service shifts often switch between late nights, early mornings, and weekends. This makes it an anti-social job, with employees struggling to find a rhythm or routine. Frequently, shift patterns lead to poor sleep, with 74% of chefs saying they lack rest to the point of exhaustion.
But sleep is vital for both mental and physical well-being. If staff aren’t getting the rest they need, it may be a leading reason why mental health issues are so prevalent.
Low Pay and Financial Insecurity
Many restaurant roles are low-wage or tip-dependent (as we mentioned above), leaving workers vulnerable to financial stress. The uncertainty around income, especially in slower seasons or when shifts are allocated late, can lead to chronic anxiety and feelings of instability.
Lack of Opportunity
The restaurant service industry isn’t always the best at offering opportunities for progression to employees. This is a leading cause of burnout. A lack of variation in tasks paired with an inability to climb the ladder won’t help the mental health crisis.
How to Improve Mental Health in Restaurants
Identifying that there’s a mental health crisis in the food service industry is the first step to solving it. Fortunately, there are a huge variety of ways that employers can improve wellbeing amongst restaurant and bar staff.
To reduce cases of anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout, let’s take a look at how employers can address mental health in food service jobs.
Provide Mental Health Support
One of the most effective ways to improve mental health in the food service industry is by offering proper mental health support. This can both prevent and treat mental health issues while helping employees speak openly and honestly about their well-being.
You might offer mental health training for managers, offer free counselling services, or partner with an addiction treatment center[1] to host expert speakers in your workplace. Even small steps, like check-ins from managers, can ensure your employees feel seen, heard, and supported.
Prioritize Financial Security
We’ve identified that money worries can be a trigger for mental health. As an employer, you can ease this burden by:
- Providing a living wage
- Ensuring staff don’t need tips to pay their bills
- Offering consistent and reliable hours
- Providing upskilling opportunities to help employees move into higher-paying roles
Some businesses also provide access to early wage withdrawals or financial workshops. This shows you’re prioritising the financial security of employees, which in turn reduces the emotional strain on your staff.
Offer Flexible Time Off
Regardless of industry, time off is a must for preventing burnout. Food service staff should be able to take regular breaks throughout their shift, as well as vacation leave. To prioritize wellness, you could even let employees have a few extra days off as ‘mental health days’, giving them the space to not come in when life is getting a little much.
Create Reliable Shift Schedules
Anti-social shifts aren’t always avoidable in restaurants and bars. To mitigate their impact, however, make sure you create reliable shift schedules and publish them weeks in advance. This helps your team plan their lives around work and maintain a healthy lifestyle, providing more balance between work and wellbeing.
Deal With Rude Customers Quickly
Customer abuse should never be a part of the job. To avoid rude and stressful situations from impacting mental health, staff need to know they’re not alone when dealing with difficult customers. Employers and managers can help by outlining clear policies on customer conduct, stepping in when issues arise, and always putting staff safety first.
Build a Positive Workplace Culture
A healthy work environment can make a huge difference to employee mental health. Employers who promote respect, inclusivity, and celebrate achievements create spaces where team members feel valued for their hard work.
A little bit of fun doesn’t hurt, either! Work outings, staff parties, and fun rewards create a more welcoming workplace, and one where each member feels part of a larger team.
Final Thoughts
The food service industry isn’t always easy work, and the link between restaurants and poor mental health couldn’t be clearer. There are ways that employers and managers can start actioning widespread change, though, and it all starts with prioritising employee wellbeing.
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