Over half of hospitality employees call for pandemic rules to become permanent

A recent survey conducted by Solopress, reveals that 66% of hospitality employees want COVID-19 rules in their workplace to remain permanent

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent round of government guidance, restricting hospitality establishments to a 10 pm curfew, caused uproar among industry professionals, who raised concerns about the financial impact it would have on their businesses.

However, a survey conducted by Solopress has revealed that 66% of hospitality employees want COVID-19 rules in their workplace to remain permanent – even after the pandemic has ended.

Hygiene rules

The top three hygiene rules employees want to see become a mandatory requirement post-COVID are; hand sanitisation on entrance (61%), customers to remain socially distanced (50%) and mandatory face mask wearing (32%).

The figures are part of a wider study conducted by the print firm, which highlights the top concerns from hospitality customers and employees, following the new restrictions imposed as a response to the rise in infection rates.

Customer sentiment echoes how employees are feeling. Despite the safety measures in place, many are still hesitant to return to their regular hospitality haunts – with 30% claiming the experience isn’t the same as before the pandemic.

Although 60% of customers found that face coverings didn’t affect the quality of customer service, over a quarter (28%) found that it has been negatively impacting the quality of their experiences.

Employees have also voiced concerns about working in their high contact roles, with almost half worrying about having to impose restrictions and rules on clients (44%).

Zoe, a bartender based in Leeds, is worried these restrictions are stopping her from doing her job properly.

“These new restrictions mean yet another rule for us to enforce and monitor, like our jobs aren’t difficult enough at the moment already. Most businesses aren’t in a financial position to pay doormen or bouncers anymore, so it lands on us regular employees to do this – which can be especially intimidating when you’re dealing with drunk people in a bar.”

“Most customers I deal with don’t even follow the guidelines properly. I’ve seen people swapping and sharing their masks, so there clearly needs to be more education around not just what the rules are, but how to follow them properly.”

“That fun, enjoyable experience of working in a bar has slowly diminished. Customers can’t even see me smile behind my mask, and the social aspect of chatting with customers is something I loved about my job.”