UK Citizens, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
31 May 2021
Dear fellow citizens of the UK,
Following 17 months of extremely limited and sporadic bouts of hospitality throughout the pandemic, I hope you are now able to make the most of hospitality reopening.
As hospitality is now gradually reopening you will doubtless be availing a bit more, and I hope you are enjoying your return to restaurants, pubs, cafes and many more venues that excel in bringing a smile to all our faces. Please be patient with everyone that works in hospitality as they have been through a similar experience to yours in recent times, and are all doing their best.
If you do not work in hospitality, you may be unaware that there is a major shortage of highly skilled and experienced hospitality people that have left the UK due to Brexit, at least 355,000 to be precise.
A literal exodus of people who ordinarily meet and greet you, take your orders, cook your food, serve your drinks, and ensure your hospitality experience is a good one. Their enforced departure from the UK is making life even more difficult for the hospitality people that remain trying to look after your wants and needs. So, once again please be patient.
The government is trying to help through their Kickstart scheme, creating part time training and jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit. Launched in October 2020 by Thérèse Coffey, MP the scheme was designed to bring 250,000 young unemployed people into part time work, 25 hours a week. 8 months later 16,500 young people have joined the scheme across all industries.
So, the result now is an imbalance:
Hospitality Industry MINUS 355,000 experienced people – PLUS a % of 16,500 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit ready to be trained.
IF YOU ARE HOPING TO ENJOY A SUMMER HOLIDAY IN THE UK THIS SUMMER, PLEASE READ ON
The result of the imbalance above is that some hospitality businesses are unable to reopen fully and do not want to put an unfair burden on their people by trying to. On average hospitality businesses are trying to reopen with 17% less people than when they closed. So, a business with 100 people now has 83 – a business with 30 people now has 25 – a business with 5 people now has 4, and so on.
The numbers are averages, so some will be more, and some less impacted, some undoubtedly will find a way to operate fully. Some have already reduced opening hours, and we expect many more to unwillingly follow through necessity. As an industry however, getting back to delivering pre pandemic levels of hospitality is clearly not possible under this type of restraint.
STAYCATIONS 2021
With international travel even more restricted than hospitality, the summer months will see millions of UK citizens that would ordinarily holiday abroad unable to do so. Undoubtedly this will lead to far greater than normal demand for UK holidays. But the problem highlighted above will limit availability. It will also limit the experience for many. A 16 year old trainee on the Kickstart scheme will not be able to provide the same experience as someone with many years of experience in delivering hospitality.
A great meal out with friends and family, out watching the EURO’s 2021 down the pub with your mates, a great stay at a hotel. These are all delivered by highly skilled and experienced people.
With at least 355,00 of them forced to leave the UK and unable to return, you may have to accept that the level of experience enjoyed could be impacted.
CAN ANYTHING BE DONE
There is a petition to parliament that requests: The Government should ease immigration restrictions on EU nationals and other migrant workers with experience of working in the UK hospitality industry, at least temporarily, immediately. This could be achieved by creating a new hospitality visa, or exempting non-UK nationals with relevant experience from immigration requirements.
Please sign the petition to help yourself enjoy more hospitality in 2021, please ask your friends and family, and everyone you know to also, by doing so you will be helping hospitality do what we do best, make people smile.
News from the hospitality and catering industry is also being featured extensively in our Facebook and twitter social media accounts with the opportunity to engage with others in hospitality and share your views.
Hospitality & Catering News: Dear fellow citizens of the UK, please lower your hospitality and staycation expectations 2021. – 31 May 2021 – Dear fellow citizens of the UK, please lower your hospitality and staycation expectations 2021.
Copyright: All content in Hospitality & Catering News is protected by copyright.
