Hospitality work is a demanding career that requires a specific range of skills and a particular kind of mental concentration. The expression ‘catering ‘ derives from the same source that the hospital and simply involves looking after people with goodwill, both at home and personal, such as a hotel, a pub, a cruise ship or somewhere else where guests and tourists are accepted.

This means that the goal is to position the interests of your customer above yourself alongside your technical skills to be able to do the assignment correctly. Regardless of the length of your hours, how expensive your job is whether you are a waitress, cook, Barman, receptionist or a worker in some other highly qualified catering role.

Will the catering experience ready you for the emotional burden of work?

While you would have completed preparation courses to deal with the professional requirements of your work, such as food health and safety training, the demands of the catering industry will make this a very difficult career path. Many people employed in the industry can suffer from anxiety, stress and depression. Many more just have to suffer from burnout and exit the industry.

The catering industry is the third largest employment market in the country. After all we all enjoy going out for fun or dining so if you’re looking for a career path those appeals to professionals, the catering industry provides a lot of work openings in a very stable employment market.

Why is there so much pressure on the catering industry?

The catering industry is under pressure. It works on strict schedules, and in tandem with the tension and heat of the typical busy kitchen, the temper is broken, and the abuse is not rare. Any error in the chain of command between the order and the food arriving at the customer’s table increases the stress. It may be a steep learning curve when you attempt to make your way up the ladder in the kitchen, and while there can be a great camaraderie among team members, over 41% of staff experience verbal bullying by colleagues or even their line managers.

Many people thrive on the pressure of busy kitchens, but when this turns out to be overcome by pressures and lack of help from supervisors or the impossibility of working short-time employees, it may lead to severe behavioral issues such as depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or even suicide in some situations.

So why working in the catering industry?

Catering is a pressure-driven profession, and amid apparent issues, a lot of people enjoy this job and are excited about having a career in it. It’s thrilling, imaginative, and diverse, attracting some fantastically high-quality professionals.

Many people excel in the industry and are dedicated to delivering excellent service, whether as a cook, in front of the house or in some other catering services like party food delivery. It might be a lot of fun, too. There’s a tremendous camaraderie in this field, and it allows you the opportunity to work in some amazing places around the world.

With a few tweaks and a shift in management practice, it is very straightforward to reduce tension in the catering industry.

Improvement of mental wellbeing

Strong mental wellbeing is important to the workforce. Managers should understand how to recognize the mental health of catering staff. Management instruction on mental well-being at work should be compulsory and there are programs available for this reason.

Understanding Mental Well-being offers training on the concepts of mental well-being. It will help administrators recognize mental health problems for workers when they emerge, as well as create a healthier working atmosphere for all.

The catering sector is very significant to the world economy, but it should not be focused on such shoddy job practices. This should be a job to be proud of, and all staff should feel respected. If we all work together to improve conditions and mental well-being for the thousands of workers now employed in this industry, that will contribute to more prosperity and business growth, as well as a major change in the life of employees.

Author(s)