If you’re happy and you know it…
Fast forward a quarter of a century or so, and — thanks to a Cabinet Office survey — we now know that publicans are in the unhappiest occupation of all, rank bottom of a list of 274 different professions: 24 places behind binmen, 35 behind shelf-stackers and 36 behind cleaners (though you could argue a publican is all those things and more).
The key to professional happiness, it seems, is a life in the clergy, with vicars’ job satisfaction rating nearly two points out of 10 higher than that of a publican (8.3 v 6.4), despite an average mean income nearly £5,000 a year less (£20,568 v £25,222).
But is a publican so different from a priest?
Worship
He or she attracts a congregation at a place of (beer) worship, provides ‘communion’ bread and wine and takes the confession of many a sinner. They both do a lot for charity and always seem to be raising funds to mend their leaky roofs.
OK — I’ve stretched that comparison about as far as it can go without venturing into the realms of ties and tithes, but there is a serious point to be made about the happiness, or otherwise, of the licensee community. Those suffering from job dissatisfaction are unlikely to be able to create or sustain a positive atmosphere in their pubs. At some point the mask will slip, and the customers — who come to the pub for a good time — will desert.
But “be more cheerful” is not particularly useful advice for people suffering from professional despondency. Better to understand the reasons for their frustration and help them overcome those concerns.
Lifestyle surveys
To that end the PMA is conducting a series of lifestyle surveys this year among our readership to appreciate more about what motivates them and what keeps them awake at night.
The first survey — on health and wellbeing — is already live and can be completed here.
I’m hopeful that these questionnaires will build into the most detailed research on the lives and loves of the publican community and help the PMA and other licensee-representative organisations to improve levels of positivity within the trade.
