MA LEADERS
Pubs adapt staff policies as employment law changes loom
Hospitality businesses from across the sector have reviewed staffing policies to prepare for employment-law reforms and rising labour costs.
Staffing
Hospitality wages lose ground as vacancies fall
Average earnings across the sector fell for the first time in almost three years in August, with vacancies in hospitality also falling.
Mental health in pub kitchens: Has the culture changed?
For decades, professional kitchens have been characterised by long hours, red-hot pressure and a culture that has sometimes treated burnout as a badge of honour.
Warning employment proposals risk higher costs and further pressures
Pubs and brewers could face major cost hikes as a result of proposed employment changes, one trade body has warned.
University invests £15m in hospitality training venues
University College Birmingham has acquired the former The Cube Hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant as part of a £15m hospitality investment programme.
How one operator is rethinking pub staffing
Tim Skinner has said pubs must rethink staffing models as rising labour costs make traditional management structures increasingly difficult to sustain.
Young workers prioritise flexibility over pay as entry‑level hiring falls
Changing expectations among young workers have added fresh pressure to recruitment within the sector, as employers warn rising costs are cutting entry-level hiring.
Hospitality staff churn hits 75% as training costs soar by 70%
Only one in every four staff members make it past 90 days of employment with hospitality companies, according to new research.
‘What are we losing that we may never see again?’
The MA’s Ed Bedington caught up with hospitality expert and non-exec director Karen Bosher to get her take on the week’s events.
Pub groups recognised as top employers
A number of pub groups have been honoured in the latest Sunday Times Best Places to Work in the UK.
Cheshire Cat: ‘Continuity is key to consistency and success’
Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars has maintained staffing levels despite rising employment costs, as the operator continues to prioritise retention, internal development and customer service.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK
Mental Health Awareness Week: Where hospitality workers can receive support
Working in hospitality can be rewarding but it is also exceptionally demanding, often requiring mental health support to manage high stress, burnout and emotional fatigue.
St Austell trebles job applications amid staff retention push
St Austell Brewery has trebled job applications over the past three years as the pubco increases its focus on internal development, leadership training and employee engagement.
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
‘No pressure Harry - the future prosperity of the pub industry lies in Harry Kanes hands...’
The MA’s Ed Bedington catches up with Ardent Pub Group boss Dom Jacobs to get his take on the week’s events.
‘One of the biggest pay rolls we’ve seen’
The MA’s Ed Bedington catches up with Cheltenham based multiple operator Emma Gibbon as the April increases bite.
THE MA LABOUR REPORT
MA Labour Report: Top methods of recruiting staff
Recruiting staff may not be easiest thing in the world and finding the funds to pay them is an equally baffling proposition currently.
MA Labour Report launch: What are the top benefits for pub staff?
As The MA Labour Report is here, we delve into a snippet of data from a new survey carried out by The Morning Advertiser (The MA).
Don’t miss The MA Labour Report – coming soon
Almost a third of pub bosses are currently unable to grow their businesses due to being understaffed.
Gov’s £3k youth employment grant welcomed but ‘policy must help, not hinder jobs’
Trade bodies have responded after the Department for Work and Pensions revealed plans to drive 200,000 jobs for young people alongside a change to apprenticeships.
MA LEADERS CLUB
Experts highlight benefits of employing prison leavers
With the sector facing employment challenges, firms can tap into rewarding commercial and social opportunities by hiring prison leavers.
Hospitality ‘vital’ entry point to work for young people
Trade bodies have called on the Government to tackle rising youth unemployment after new data showed a slowdown in the number of young people employed across the UK.
Star Pubs reports 10% rise in January L&T applicants
Star Pubs has reported a 10% uplift in applications in January compared to the same period last year, despite wider concerns about trading pressures across the sector.
Pubs under pressure: Tackling the challenges of 2026
With some serious challenges facing the pub sector in 2026, the Lock In team tackle some of the issues and consider what campaigning is going to work in the year ahead.
Accounting firm puts trainees behind the bar to gain people skills
An international accountancy advisory group is looking to the pub trade to help train its recruits.
Pubs warn wage hikes threaten youth employment
Increases to the national living wage (NLW) and national minimum wage (NMW) will cost pubs thousands, discourage them from employing young people and result in more job losses, operators have warned.
Pubs urged to sign up for real living wage
With more than 50 pubs now signed up as living wage employers, organisers are calling on more operators to get involved.
Rising unemployment shows ‘shocking’ damage caused by last year’s Budget
Industry leaders have shared their concern after unemployment levels soared, urging the Government to back the sector ahead of the autumn Budget.
ANALYSIS: How pubcos are investing to futureproof workforce
With a new generation stepping behind the bar, pub companies across the UK have invested in training, apprenticeships and inclusive development programmes to secure the future of the hospitality workforce.
Staffing struggles - tackling the challenges around employment
People are key to hospitality, but employment has never been more expensive or challenging. The Lock In podcast team takes a deep dive into some of the issues the sector is facing.
Behind bars - is prison the answer to the pub employment challenge?
The Lock In gets locked in as we go behind bars to investigate the opportunties the hospitality sector offers to rehabilitate offenders.
Employment levels in the sector rise as cost pressures mount
Staffing levels in the hospitality sector have risen for the first time in almost six months, but operators are likely to “apply the brakes” on recruitment ahead of the autumn Budget, experts have warned.
World Mental Health Day: pubs unite to support wellbeing
As the industry marks World Mental Health Day today (10 October 2025), pub operators across the UK are taking action to highlight mental health awareness and promote staff wellbeing across the sectors.
Sector job losses predicted to hit ’devastating landmark’ of 111,000 by Budget
A prediction that 111,000 jobs will be lost in hospitality by the Budget in two months’ time has been described as a “devastating landmark”.
Sector accounts for more than half of all UK job losses since Budget
Hospitality has been ‘hardest hit by regressive tax hikes’, accounting for half of job losses since October Budget, according to one trade body.
ANALYSIS: To tip or not to tip, that is the question...
The decision by a pub company to add an automatic tip to ordering drinks at the bar in some of its sites has thrown the cat among the pigeons and reignited the service charge debate.
Single wage rate proposal ‘nightmare for employers’ as Gov accused of ‘losing the plot’
Independent operators have voiced their outrage on how Government proposals for a single wage rate for adults would negatively impact their businesses.
25% drop in summer job postings ‘red flag for economy’
Recent figures have found job postings this year have dropped against 2024, sparking concerns it marks “the death of the great British summer job”.
Hospitality now accounts for almost half of UK job losses
The hospitality sector accounts for almost half (45%) of all job losses across the UK, making it one of the hardest hit sectors since the budget, new data has revealed.
Diageo CEO steps down
Diageo CEO Debra Crew has stepped down with immediate effect by “mutual agreement”.
Joe Grossmann to launch second London pub
Patty & Bun and The Waterman’s Arms founder Joe Grossmann is to take on well-known Soho pub The Shaston Arms.
Pub companies among Gov’s top apprenticeship employers
Employers across the country have been recognised by the Government for their outstanding commitment to apprenticeships.
EXCLUSIVE: New BII chair revealed
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has announced its new chair elect who will take over from Mark Robson later this year.
Employment Rights Bill changes ‘will force firms to rethink recruitment strategies’
Changes to the Employment Rights Bill will have ‘considerable impact on how hospitality businesses operate’, one expert has warned.
Gov reveals plans to tighten tipping laws and end ‘exploitative’ use of zero hours contracts
The Government has unveiled its plans to tighten tipping laws and ‘end the exploitative use of zero hours contracts’ as it revealed its Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap.
Supporters back BBPA’s diversity and inclusion charter
A wide range of supporter organisations have backed the British Beer & Pub Association’s (BBPA) diversity and inclusion charter on its third anniversary.
Job vacancies fall as job losses continue
The number of vacancies in accommodation and food service are continuing to fall, the latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) data has revealed.
UKH calls for Gov to support hospitality training
UKHospitality (UKH) has called on the Government to consider the hospitality industry as part of its plans to help young people into work.
Hospitality training scheme ‘significant’ step for sector
New Government-backed hospitality training programmes mark a “significant advancement” for the sector, UKHospitality (UKH) has said.
JDW ‘one of Europe’s best employers’
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has been named among ‘Europe’s best employers’ for 2025 in a new report from the Financial Times and Statista.
Boxpark appoints first chief growth officer
Boxpark has announced the appointment of its first chief growth officer (CGO).