Take Care of Each Other

The statistics are grim. Not just the number of people getting the COVID-19 virus, but the stats about alcohol and substance use during the pandemic, and the decline of mental health, especially those in the restaurant industry.

The restaurant industry has been particularly hurt during the pandemic, and employees are reeling due to a lack of work, money and childcare. The stress would overwhelm anyone. And with this stress not only comes increased substance use, but worse mental health outcomes like emotional burnout, increased work-life conflict and decreased life satisfaction.

As we all try to survive the next few months and make it to a point where the vaccine is widely distributed, we must take care of each other, especially the employees we rely on and, for many of us, feel like family. This period may be one of the greatest mental health challenges we’ve ever seen, and it is so important to support our employees.

According to Dr. Kyle Hight, Ph.D., at Georgia State University, there are plenty of ways you can help your employees right now. Dr. Hight is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality who teaches restaurant analytics, financial management and human resources. Before earning his Ph.D. at the University of Central Florida, he spent 15 years working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, primarily in the restaurant and foodservice operations. He is also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has a master’s in global hospitality management, a master’s in accounting and is a Certified Sommelier. With his front- and back-of-house operations experience, combined with his research and teaching expertise, there is no one better to hear from. Dr. Hight had the following suggestions:

Communication
The No. 1 thing employees want right now is communication from their employer. This includes routine check-ins, company updates and job status updates. Simply asking how they are doing and letting them know you care can go a long way. They also want to hear the latest news about the company and any plans leadership has for the next few months as it pertains to the business and their job status.

Transparency
Be transparent when you provide company and job updates, even if it means bad news. You may not know when you can hire them back, and it’s ok to tell them that. Employees appreciate the truth, and when they have all the information they can make the best decisions for their lives.

That’s exactly what Smokey Bones did at the beginning of the pandemic. Smokey Bones had to furlough a significant percentage of its workforce at the start of the pandemic, and they shared everything they could with their employees from the start.

“We immediately put ourselves in the shoes of our team members and tried to ease the pain during furlough for those working,” says Rachel Kelly, chief human resources officer at Smokey Bones.

Resources
Of course, what everyone needs right now are financial resources, but that might not be possible. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways you can provide for employees. Smokey Bones didn’t have a huge budget to offer benefits, but some of the ways they helped employees was by:

• Maintaining healthcare and negotiating with the carrier for forgiveness of healthcare premiums for the first three months of the pandemic.
• Providing bulk food and meals to employees at little or no cost to them.
• Providing case management and unemployment support and advocacy.
• Holding weekly town halls with the management and executive team and every 2-3 weeks with hourly employees.
• Provided a major emphasis on maintaining personal and mental health.

Other ways employers can help is by:

• Helping employees sign up for unemployment benefits.
• Provide information about career development or training they can do while they’re out of work.
• Help them find a temporary job.
• Provide information for food banks, rental assistance or other community services.
• Give them locations for COVID testing, or when a vaccine becomes available, a clinic they can get a vaccine from.

What will the outcome be by doing these things? “Employees who feel supported not only have improved job performance and higher job satisfaction rates, but they are also more loyal to their employer and have a stronger commitment to their job,” Hight says.

At some point we will get back to normal, and you want your best employees to be with you on the other side of COVID.

On the same note, employees who feel supported have better mental health, physical health and a better quality of life. There is so much uncertainty right now, and that takes a toll. Regular check-ins with your employees, even if they’re not working and you can’t see them in person, lets them know you are thinking about them and you care.

I will end where I began, and that is with a focus on communications and the importance of mental health. Most foodservice employees are Gen Z and Millennials – both younger and elder Millennials. Dr. Hight emphasizes that what he hears over and over again from this group of workers is their focus on mental health. Communicating with them, being transparent and showing them you care will not just help them but will help you, too.

Be well.

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Ellen Weaver Hartman, APR, Fellow PRSA, is the CEO of Hartman Public Relations, a full-service public relations and crisis management agency specializing in the foodservice industry. Hartman has experience working for global food and beverage companies in QSR, full service, fast casual, convenience stores and airport concessionaires.  An industry leader for more than 30 years, Hartman served as vice president for communications and diversity at AFC Enterprises. She has helped restaurant clients through a variety of crisis situations including contagious diseases (COVID-19, Norovirus, Hepatitis A), violence in the workplace, sexual and racial discrimination, cybercrimes, criminal activities in the company and environmental disasters. She is active in the Women’s Foodservice Forum, Les Dames d ’Escoffier International and serves on the board of the Georgia State University School of Hospitality. She earned her APR accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of PRSA’s Fellow program for senior accomplished professionals