Hospitality industry hits crisis point with staffing

STAFF shortages across the hospitality industry have reached an ‘unprecedented’ point in Guernsey.

Stephen Purtill, general manager of Moores Hotel, one of many local establishments struggling to find staff. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 29868022)

La Piette, La Barbarie, and Wayside Cheer Hotel, among other hotels and restaurants, have modified business hours because they simply do not have the staff needed to operate at full capacity.

‘In 2019, we had 23 staff. Now we have four staff and just myself,’ said Ashraf Elsergany, hotel manager at Saints Bay Hotel.

‘I am the manager, but now I’m also the receptionist and the staff doctor and cleaning toilets and doing everything I can to protect my staff from being worked to the bone. I’m here at 2am every night preparing the breads and Guernsey gache we’re known for. I can’t do anymore at this point.’

La Piette is currently unable to serve food as usual because it cannot find a chef, while from 3-12 August, Wayside Cheer Hotel was only open for hotel residents.

‘Sadly, despite our best efforts and in common with other business in hospitality we will not be able to carry on as normal, and to protect the wellbeing of our valued staff we have had to amend our restaurant opening times,’ said La Barbarie Hotel in a Facebook post.

The hotel is now closed on Sunday evenings and all day Monday until further notice.

Andrew Coleman, managing director of La Barbarie Hotel, said the situation is the ‘perfect storm’ of Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and island policies on visas and housing.

‘There are more than 300 vacancies in the industry right now.

‘It’s a crisis to a point I’ve never experienced before,’ Mr Coleman said.

‘We’re trying to protect our staff and we’re still trying to provide the levels of service that people expect from us.

‘It’s a shame we’re in this situation, because the business is there. However, we want to make sure we’re providing service to the level expected of us by our customers. Of course it’s a financial hit, but we must try to manage our business and customers’ expectations. We just have to react to where we are.’

Mr Elsergany said his priority was protecting his staff from undue stress and over-work, but he is also concerned for the reputation of his business.

He said it was hard to provide the quality service that customers expect when staff is stretched so thin.