Restaurant staff often work difficult hours and may be prone to substance use problems; they also approach work with a “work hard” mentality. Many workers don't ask for help or don't always consider mental self-care important; and restaurant culture has not historically prioritized it or seen it as something that employees should deal with in their spare time. Working in the restaurant industry can be hard and stressful work. The hours can be long and the work can be exhausting.
During busy meal periods, you may feel a lot of pressure to prepare meals quickly without sacrificing quality. Sometimes, your breaks may be postponed due to the onslaught of customers. Bonanno said these jobs offer competitive salaries and good health insurance, but the mental health benefits aren't very good. A new study that analyzes the most stressful jobs in the world states that being a waiter inside a restaurant can be more stressful than working as a doctor or architect.
A third of restaurants received requests for mental health services or resources from employees last year. The Colorado Restaurant Association recently conducted a survey and a spokesperson said that more than 80% of its members reported an increase in staff stress levels over the past year. Customers at the Asian-fusion restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, where 18-year-old Kat Combs works, are generally pleasant, she said. Denise Mickelsen, spokesperson for the Colorado restaurant association, said she is unaware that other restaurants or groups hire a full-time employee dedicated to health and wellness.
If you currently have a job you don't enjoy and have tried to make it more enjoyable without success, consider looking for another job. The death by suicide of the charismatic Bourdain, a celebrity chef and television star who was openly struggling with addiction and mental health problems, resonated with many restaurant workers. Last year, it decided to require customers at the 10 restaurants to show proof of vaccination on the door. The death by suicide of the charismatic Bourdain, a celebrity chef who was openly fighting addiction and mental illness, resonated with many restaurant workers.
Bonanno says these jobs offer competitive salaries and good health insurance, but the mental health benefits aren't very good. For a waiter who recently quit his job at a restaurant in Allston, much of the stress came from weighing the cost of tolerating harassment versus the need to earn a living. The report's argument suggests that changes in the way certain jobs are structured could reduce these risks, for example, giving staff better control over their work, giving them more decision-making, or some flexibility in the way they structure shifts would restore a sense of empowerment, that is, key to reduce the work stress they feel. He had previously worked individually with clients and in community mental health, but took the opportunity to help create an entirely new profession within the restaurant world.
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