Mental health is a subject that’s become much more prevalent in the licensed trade in recent years, and with pressures continuing to mount on owners and staff alike, it’s not likely to become less of an issue any time soon.
It’s a situation that’s very familiar to Gordon McIntyre MBE, founder of charity Hospitality Health.
Gordon, who worked for hospitality groups before making the move to higher education, retiring as associate dean of hospitality and tourism at City of Glasgow College, launched the charity in 2018 after an associate tragically lost his life to depression.
Gordon told SLTN last month: “I won’t mention a name, but sadly a chef from the west of Scotland took his own life. I knew this chef quite well, but he was actually a lot closer with my daughter.
“This chef really took my daughter under his wing and supported her and looked after her. He was such a good mentor for her.
“He worked in a number of places in the west of Scotland, had a family at home and you think everything is hunky dory and fine.
“But one day he just didn’t turn up at his work. Sadly, he was found in nearby woods. He’d taken his own life.”
Determined to help change the culture in hospitality – and hopefully prevent some further tragedies – Gordon and a small group of trustees set up Hospitality Health to provide advice for businesses on how to provide support to their teams as well as highlight operators in the sector that have systems in place to look after their staff.
The Hospitality Health Wellness Charter requires companies to meet a ten-point criteria in order to become accredited.
These include ensuring there is an Employee Assistance Programme in place for any staff struggling with their mental health (incorporating resources such as a confidential counselling service or helpline), having managers in the business trained to manage the mental health of their teams, and adopting practices that promote a better work/life balance and positive culture.
Gordon said that, in addition to making businesses more inclusive places to work, these steps can also give those companies an edge in recruitment.
“There’s lots of evidence that staff don’t just work for the highest-paid rate per hour or salary per year,” he said.
“There’s got to be a package there. It might involve professional development or it might be other benefits that you might not think are important in the first instance.
“If you want to get someone and keep someone, you’ve got to give them something of value. I do think we are seeing businesses changing in a positive way. Looking after people much better.”
So far around a dozen businesses have been accredited via the charter, including significant players such as Buzzworks Holdings and Crerar Hotels.
In addition to the charter, Hospitality Health also organises mental health ‘first aider’ training for people in the industry.
The sessions, hosted over Zoom several times a year, give people the skills to identify whether colleagues may be struggling with mental health issues, and encourage them to get further help.
The training, which takes place over two days, is provided to the industry free of charge, with the cost covered by Hospitality Health.
“It’s a case of spotting signs, spotting signals, changes in behaviour,” said Gordon.
“It’s having the time to sit down and have a cup of tea and say ‘how are you? How are you really? Is there something going on?’
“Questions like ‘how did you sleep last night? What did you have to eat? Did you have anything to eat?’ Because quite often if someone is going through a mental disorder they’re starting to skip meals, they’re not drinking water, they’re not sleeping.
“So it’s just asking a simple question of that nature, just opening up a conversation.
“Once that conversation starts, it can lead to ‘you need help, you need support’.”
So far, around 500 people from across Scotland have taken part in the first aider training.
The popularity of the course underlines its importance, and Gordon admitted that, in the current climate, there is only likely to be more need for mental health support.
“Sadly, things are more challenging and more demanding”
He said: “It’s a terrible thing to say. Am I busier? The answer’s yes. I think we are busier, which is not good. It’d be great if there was no need for us.
“I think, sadly, things are more challenging and more demanding, which is why more businesses should be making sure they have employee assistance programmes and making sure they are seen to be looking after their people.
“Because people need to be supported more than they were before.”
To find out more about Hospitality Health, the Wellness Charter or the mental health first-aider training, visit hospitalityhealth.org.uk
