Staffing the Hospitality Industry

First, when I was younger it was normal for students to work on farms during the holidays, doing the picking as it was called. Some even went to France to help with the grapes. But these days do students work in their holidays, I don't know many who do.
Secondly my son works in a warehouse that employed on a temporary basis many EU nationals who came over for a set time and lived in motorhomes near the site. Well they have all gone now and his large international firm has given all employees a £60 a week rise, plus a 3 monthly bonus and it hoped this will attract more workers and also keep staff. I am afraid wages just have to go up at the bottom end to attract people and also to help eradicate poverty. Living on benefits is not the first choice for most people,

Alegrias1

I didn't think you were JaneJudge. I'm going to go out in the garden and the sun to drink wine. I'll cause less damage that way.

I am relieved you didn't think I thought that
A lot of youngsters don't seem to drive, so I suppose a live in in a village would be ideal if that is how you wanted to progress your career. It is so expensive to learn to drive. I offered to pay for one of my daughters support workers to have some lessons (as a contribution) but I'm not allowed to because of some bollocks like boundaries - I have plenty of those. i need more support workers that can drive!

gangy5

Namsnanny You have it in a nutshell..... "If the industry cannot support a living wage then the industry has to change "
The only problem with this is that the extra cost would undoubtedly be passed on to the public. After all we could not expect the big companies to forego some of their profits, leading to less remuneration for the shareholders !!

In principle yes, but please bear in mind that a large part of the shareholders are pension providers so lower pensions all round...

Well just before I go into the garden...

As somebody's boss I would never have told them to go private for their healthcare, in any circumstances. What a cheek!

Here here! These are 'student' jobs only. But I also agree that so many younger people want the'footballers lifestyle' on pick n mix wages! I used to work with a junior clerk who had a little 2 ,bed home with boyfriend and 2year old son. She had major gynae. Problems which she used to confide in me and I used to simply say "go to the doctor!" Whenever did, her excuse being it would've months before she saw specialist anyway....I finally lost my rag when she proudly came in wearing a pair of boots costing£400!!! I told her she'd have been better spending that money going private to sort out her lady plumbing!!!! Instead of wasting it on a "sodding bag" ! She wasn't happy with my outburst but as her boss I told her that she should NEVER again moan to me or expect ANY sympathy with her manky bits! I was disgusted by her warped values

I didn't think you were JaneJudge. I'm going to go out in the garden and the sun to drink wine. I'll cause less damage that way.

Oh feck it, I wasn't insinuating the live in was for eastern europeans, I thought it might be to attract people to work in village pubs that might be difficult to get to, people who may be young and taking their first steps in employment. I thought it was to make these positions more attractive

It's a mix between the effects of covid and Brexit.
Although, the college courses were going for quite some time along with Leisure and Tourism. They used to be huge depts and over the past 10 years or so has practically vanished.

I agree and it would make a massive difference to everyone's chances of getting on if a national building program à là post war Britain were embarked upon to release the constipated housing markets!!! Affordable homes does actually mean good old fashioned council estate! Not popular to the NIMBYs but nevertheless essential to allow young families on low wages to kick start their lives and that of their children! 'That woman' utterly destroyed the housing stock of UK in 80s and it's never recovered resulting in millions of younger(and now ageing) families stuck in the jaws of private landlords , at the mercy of the Inadequate tenancy laws! I pray that one day soon a government that cares about our people more than itself will get voted in! .....oh and that younger people actually get off their devices long enough to actually VOTE!!

I know lots of "Euro workers" personally. None of them live in shared accommodation, none of them send money "home" and at least half of them have mortgages.

I'm afraid the stereotypes don't hold up any longer. Not that they ever did, of course.

I've noticed one of local pubs is offering 'live in' options

Euro workers
a:don't want to stay here long term usually so don't mind living in very cheap accomodation or tied accomodation
B: don't have rents/mortgage/insurances, to pay usually very low rents with shared flats etc.
C:. Work herein order to send money home where it buys a heck of a lot more than in UK!
I knew a polish girl temping in 80s and she lived in a ten strong house share with students, she got same rate as me, with2 boys and having to use my wages for food and kids school needs.her wages mostly went back home where she eventually followed having had her boyfriend and mates build a house in a field near Gdansk with 5 beds a stable block and paddocks! Her fella was a builder and had been working aug wiedersehen pet-style in Germany for same 5 year's tax Frei!!! So we cannot compete with their ability to "do without" as we're subject to our shocking costs of living!

It is not just in the UK although speaking to my Son in Scotland it is worse there.
Here a lot of people went home at the start of the pandemic and have not come back, in particular kitchen staff.
A lot of jobs in Belgium are taken by migrant workers, Bus/tram drivers, kitchen and waiting staff and manual workers.
Many have not returned yet, if ever and there is a real shortage.
We will wait and see what happens.

If labour costs too much they will just get rid of them all. What then?
Well, it's a fair point which I dont have a straightforward answer to.
Is it possible or useful to regulate (cap?)the amount of profit a company can release in its shares?
Would it drive out good CEO's if their wages were capped?
Would tourists stop coming here if hotel prices were higher to enable staff to support themselves?
I could go on, but I'm hoping someone else can enlighten me!

gangy5

Namsnanny You have it in a nutshell..... "If the industry cannot support a living wage then the industry has to change "
The only problem with this is that the extra cost would undoubtedly be passed on to the public. After all we could not expect the big companies to forego some of their profits, leading to less remuneration for the shareholders !!

And I think if they can't get cheap staff, they will go for automation, In Agriculture first. But cheaper hotels in parts of the world already have automated reception, with a code you tap on the door of your room- sent by text. Same for tolls for tunnels and on continent for motorways- same for all supermarkets, even our small loca Coop now has self tills.

If labour costs too much- they will just get rid of them all. What then?

gangy5

Namsnanny You have it in a nutshell..... "If the industry cannot support a living wage then the industry has to change "
The only problem with this is that the extra cost would undoubtedly be passed on to the public. After all we could not expect the big companies to forego some of their profits, leading to less remuneration for the shareholders !!

I agree with the sarcasm I detected in your last sentence gangy5
I know I would be prepared to pay more for the food on my plate in order for the producers to pay decent wages.
But as you point out, it's just not that easy.

Namsnanny You have it in a nutshell..... "If the industry cannot support a living wage then the industry has to change "
The only problem with this is that the extra cost would undoubtedly be passed on to the public. After all we could not expect the big companies to forego some of their profits, leading to less remuneration for the shareholders !!

GillT57 & Namsnanny.
Well said.

Some people just don’t want to work

If they refuse jobs for no valid reason then their benefit should be reduced or stopped

The benefit system is not the soft option many people want to believe it is, a few posters on here will attest to that. It is not possible to live a life of 'luxury', whatever your definition of that is, simply on benefits. If it is otherwise, there is non declaration of cash work which is another matter, and anyone who has paid cash for gardening, or cleaning, or taking rubbish is contributing to this criminality or degradation of wages for those trying to earn an honest living in these areas.

If the industry cannot support a living wage then the industry has to change.

I'm not sure the farmers where I live will find any local people to do the work during harvest etc.
I don't think the bankers, captains of industry and holiday home owners who have snapped up every vacant property in the area would be up for it.
The people who used to do it now live on sink housing estates near or in the big city 20 miles away.
Costs an arm and a leg to get a taxi to our area as there are no buses or trains.

Peasblossom, I do understand the horrid conditions of rural labouring work. Poor pay is one of them There is also the problem of tied accommodation, Also the problem of no public transport. Also the problem of second homes reducing the rural housing stock.
Infrastructures must be addressed and sorted so that rural workers can and will do the work.

vampirequeen YES - I also see this as a Brexit bonus. It has not been right that we have relied on foreign workers when we have so many vacancies.
Zero hours contracts are an abomination - nobody can possibly plan their lives around this situation. Certain businesses feel that they can call people if they are busy - and at short notice.
Fortunately, crop harvesting is now becoming fairly mechanised and this will advance. Meanwhile produce picking is still suffering from a shortage of staff as well. These part-time jobs are much more difficult to fill.
Until we can see viable jobs with long term prospects in hospitality there will always be staffing problems.

We downgraded agricultural work to a series of poorly paid, temporary jobs instead of a career and then wonder why we don’t have people with the level of skill and physical fitness needed.

If we opened up the mines now, where would we find miners?

But you weren’t trying to support a family maybe? Paying to stay on the farm while your family still had to pay rent and live on minimum wage less your deductions for food and accommodation?