High turnover now more than ever, say staff
TURNOVER has always been high in hospitality, but now more than ever, as staff are feeling the pressures of the industry, according to Wesley Cadogan, chef at JB Parker’s Bar & Cellar.
At JB’s, two out of four workers in the kitchen during a mid-week lunch shift will soon be moving on to new jobs.
Mr Cadogan is one. He said he has been working 50-60 hours per week long before staff shortages were an issue. The hours are a consequence of the custom recipes and demanding nature of his job.
David Pereira is also leaving JB’s for a new job soon. He said the industry is very stressful, and he spends many hours on his feet every day. His new job is also offering him fewer hours.
‘It’s not all about money,’ Mr Cadogan said. ‘I’m leaving for a job with fewer hours to prioritise my family.’
Mattea Rutar, a server at JB’s, has been in the Guernsey hospitality industry for around three years. Ms Rutar said she is working approximately 44 hours per week. She estimates she was working a bit more now than she was before the lockdown, but said 40 hours a week was average in the industry.
‘Things are manageable but exhausting right now,’ she said.
She believed that fewer hospitality workers were coming to Guernsey now because of higher salaries and more job competition in the UK.
However, Jake McCombe, an assistant manager at JB’s and an employee there for around three years, said he feels lucky to be working in Guernsey.
‘Compared to everywhere else in the world, I think Guernsey is really lucky. Anywhere else I’d be out of a job right now,’ Mr McCombe said.
