Operators urged to improve staff management

The survey conducted by law firm Irwin Mitchell looked into the issue of ‘quiet firing’. This is when the behaviour or actions of an employer make employees feel they are no longer wanted, forcing them to quiet. 

Some 28% of workers in hospitality had been actively ignored by their manager, with 34% having worked in roles where they had not received feedback. 

Info withheld

Furthermore, 31% of the 70 surveyed hospitality staff had purposely had information withheld from them, making them want to leave their roles, and 38% had experienced workplace bullying disguised as banter. 

Irwin Mitchell consumer sector team head Charlotte Rees-John said the issue generally boiled down to performance management and embedding a culture where continuous evaluation and feedback was normal.  

Often managers need support and training on how to effectively performance manage their teams, she said, claiming sometimes the impact of failing to deal with performance issues in the right way is underestimated.   

Lack of feedback

She continued: “A lack of feedback was the predominant gripe that workers in the hospitality sector had with their current or previous place of work.  

“Other management failings for employees include being ignored by their manager; being passed over for promotion; and being undermined in a meeting.” 

Commenting on the risks to businesses working in the sector, Rees-John added: “This type of behaviour can form grounds for constructive dismissal if it breaches the implied term of trust and confidence in the employment relationship and can lead to allegations of discrimination, but perhaps as important it can result it teams becoming disengaged and a lack of respect in line management.”