- 76% of hospitality managers experience burnout
- 85% of shift workers have experienced poor mental health
- Planday shares a practical, actionable guide for managers to use to tackle burnout head-on
Planday – the shift scheduling software by Xero – has today released The Manager’s Toolkit: a guide for managers for beating burnout and building better teams using research highlighting the depth of the burnout crisis within the UK’s hospitality industry.
The new research polled 2,000 UK based shift workers as well as 250 hospitality shift worker managers. Using the new data, Planday has released The Manager’s Toolkit: a free, online resource for hospitality managers and owners to use to create a happier and healthier workforce.
Whilst the hospitality industry is a fantastic place to work, brimming with creativity and energy, there is a hidden challenge looming: team wellbeing. The new research highlights this challenge with 85% of shift workers experiencing poor mental health, and 76% of hospitality managers reporting burnout. This is hardly surprising when 98% of workers surveyed consistently work overtime.
Dedicated to making the hospitality industry a better place to work, Planday undertook the research to explore the root causes of burnout such as unpredictable schedules, working multiple jobs and a lack of managerial support. These were then used to create The Manager’s Toolkit which provides actionable insights into how to tackle the causes, including improving scheduling practices, investing in manager wellbeing and leveraging technology.
The toolkit is a guide for managers to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace, and offers insights into how they can be a better manager. The report digs deep into different methods of communication that can be implemented, how to increase motivation at work, and build a proper sense of teamwork within the staff.
It also highlights how career development is the key to team success, with 97% of shift workers saying it is important to them. When teams can see progression at work, they have more drive to work hard, stay focussed and increase their skills.
Like most industries, the hospitality industry is ever changing and is currently undergoing a seismic shift with AI being integrated into almost every area of the industry. 94% of hospitality managers believe their employer should be investing in AI, and it is evident why – AI can help businesses automate certain tasks, streamline operations and ultimately leave room for staff to do what they do best: serving customers.
Dave Lee, CEO of Planday, comments: “At Planday, we are committed to supporting the hospitality industry and making shift work more human, which is why we have released The Manager’s Toolkit. Burnout in the hospitality industry is something that we’re all aware of, and our new research shows us just how real it is. These numbers are more than statistics; they represent real people, real struggles and the urgent need for change.
“Even if managers just take away a couple of things from this guide, we want it to be a catalyst for change and hope it will help make hospitality a happier and healthier place to work.”
Research conducted by OnePoll, February 2025, on 2,000 shift works and 250 hospitality managers
The Manager’s Toolkit by Planday can be found here.
For more information on Planday please visit their website here.