It’s no secret that hospitality work is a hard graft – long shifts, rarely a chance to sit down and often not enough time to eat a proper meal on shift. In fact, new research from workplace safety experts Altro has found that 73% of hospitality workers say they often skip meals at work because they’re too busy – the most of any industry surveyed.
This figure comes as part of a new piece of research from Altro which saw them survey workers across various non-desk-based industries to see where people were spending the most time on their feet, as well as the physical effects manual work takes on these workers.
The new research also reveals that hospitality workers are more than two and a half times (2.77) more active at work than the average Brit, with an average of 9,697 steps in a single shift – compared to the average person’s 3,500 (3,000-4,000 is the average in the UK according to previous NHS figures).
Over the course of a career, hospitality workers clock up roughly 92,028,990 steps on their working days – or around 41,221 miles. That’s enough to take a casual stroll around the moon – SIX times.
When it comes to the mental health affects the length of time spent on their feet during their shift, interestingly, nearly 4 in 5 (79%) hospitality workers say they think it has a positive effect.
However, the research uncovered a common theme with those working in the hospitality sectors missing out on exercise, social events and even consulting medical advice as a result of their physical jobs. Full details below:
What are the knock-on effects of having a physical job?
It’s always important to ensure a solid work-life balance, but Altro’s research found that almost half (48%) of hospitality workers say they regularly skip out on recreational activities such as hobbies or meeting up with friends as a result of being tired from work. Another 39% of hospitality workers told us that they regularly leave social events early.
Despite these figures, Altro’s research found that hospitality workers are the least affected with their work-social life balance. Perhaps tying in with previous studies* that suggest the hospitality industry is one of the most sociable industries to work in.
While most hospitality workers think that their physical activity at work has a positive effect on their mental wellbeing, there were some clear physical wellbeing issues:
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Three-quarters (76%) say that they don’t drink as much water as they should when at work.
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However, almost two-thirds (64%) of hospitality workers say they drink caffeinated drinks to ‘keep them going’ at work.
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Almost half (45%) say they also regularly skip out on exercise because they’re tired from work.
Physical health is important, and Altro’s study found that many hospitality workers reported experiencing some negative physical aches and pains as a result of their job, with around 1 in 11 (9%) taking time off work due to work related pains or injuries.
Interestingly, this was the least of any industry, despite 52% of hospitality workers saying they experience frequent back pain as a result of their job – a figure consistent with the other industries surveyed who were all more likely to say they’ve taken time off work. This perhaps ties in with the consistent understaffing trends reported within the hospitality industry. What’s more:
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Over 4 in 5 (85%) say they rarely get the chance to sit down during their shifts.
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39% say they have frequent foot pain.
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A third (33%) say they have slipped or tripped while working – one of the highest rates in the industries surveyed.
Which industries are spending the most time on their feet – and how does this compare to the average person?
We’ve all heard of the 10,000 steps a day rule, but previous NHS figures show that the average person in the UK only walks between 3,000-4,000 steps per day.
Take a look below to see how the average working steps of hospitality workers in the UK compares to the average Brit and other non-desk-based sectors:
Sarah de los Rios, Sales and Marketing Director at Altro comments: “Our study found that while hospitality workers in the UK recognise the positive effects movement at work can have on their mental well-being, there is a concerning number of workers experiencing physical strain because of the nature of their role.
“Movement at work often can’t be helped, but physical strain can, and employers have a duty to equip their employees with safe environments to mitigate any potential accidents.
“Employers can do this by implementing safety technology or features to provide peace of mind for their workers.
“At Altro, our team is dedicated to doing just that with our safety flooring solutions ensuring the chances of workers slipping or tripping are reduced to literally one in a million.”