The Scottish Hospitality Group has proposed a new process to guide businesses struggling to cope with the ‘pingdemic’ forcing thousands of workers into self-isolation. Companies are being left in limbo unsure what to do about staff who have not been ‘pinged’ themselves but may be close contacts of those who were.
The recommended approach could avoid businesses having to close unnecessarily. It has shared the process with Westminster and Holyrood governments and is urging them to consider using it as official guidance to help bosses manage the staffing crisis affecting multiple sectors and which is threatening the UK’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
In line with many other business organisations in recent days, the Scottish Hospitality Group has warned that a number of operators are being forced to close temporarily because of the delays and confusion generated by Scotland’s Test & Protect system. A straw poll among hospitality firms by SHG found that businesses are having to spend around 40% of their lost revenue to close and reopen – meaning that a £10,000 bill becomes £14,000.
The process is a practical flowchart that bosses can follow to assess the risk to staff while waiting for test results from colleagues with symptoms. It categorises staff as no risk, definite risk and potential risk based on a series of prompts, such as vaccination history, if they have had covid and how closely they work with others. It then provides recommend actions for each category.
SHG spokesperson Stephen Montgomery said, “Business owners want to do the right thing by their staff and the public, so the lack of clear, consistent guidance from both governments is really frustrating. The fact that we need to make decisions which affect our businesses, the health and safety of our staff and customers, means we can’t afford to sit back and wait for Test & Protect to get in touch.
“This is something that Holyrood and Westminster must take seriously ahead of restrictions easing further. Our proposed process may not be perfect but it’s better than the vacuum we have just now and it would allow everyone to make sensible decisions that balance jobs and health.”
“As an industry, of course we agree with the principle of testing and tracing to stop transmission, but ultimately it has to be underpinned by a robust system that actually works. This, coupled with the staffing crisis in hospitality, is just another push into business closure, especially now that businesses are being asked to contribute 10% towards furloughed employees’ unworked wages.”
As we approach some form of freedom, hospitality businesses and workers are battling to cling on and in some cases worrying how they will cope with yet more changes, even though they are positive ones – so it’s more important than ever to be kind to them. The Be Kind To Hospitality campaign, launched by Graham Chalmers (pictured) of Radisson RED in Glasgow to ask the public to be considerate and patient, has swept the UK – and has helped make people think of the feelings of staff in the trade.
Said Radisson RED Curator, Graham Chalmers, “When we launched the Be Kind To Hospitality campaign we wanted to ask the public to be considerate of the stresses and anxieties people in our industry shared with them.
“Our campaign has spread across the entire UK, with industry heavyweights joining us, mass coverage and far too many outlets sharing their bad experiences on social media. This shows the campaign is as essential now as ever.
“Please be patient and be kind. There is a crippling staff shortage across the whole industry. Then there are the no-shows – at a time when businesses are operating at reduced capacity, it is simply unforgivable to book tables and not turn up. You could genuinely be helping to shut your favourite bar or restaurant permanently.
“Also spare a thought for the many suppliers and supplementary businesses who work closely with hospitality firms. They too have suffered and indeed are suffering, so remember it’s not just about the frontline staff who need your respect.
“So please, bear in mind that the people trying to ensure you have fun when you’re out are doing their best. They have worries and anxieties just like you, and they’re working hard despite them. Be patient, be considerate, be kind and treat people as you would like to be treated.
“Be kind to everyone…but please Be Kind To Hospitality.”
Debt and all the worries it brings is the chief concern of UK Hospitality Chief Executive Officer Kate Nicholls. She said, “Hospitality businesses are at breaking point and struggling under mounting debts. Currently only 1 in 5 are operating profitably but nevertheless are choosing to open their doors so their staff can get back to work and so they can provide positive outlets for communities and social spaces for many who have suffered with loneliness during lockdowns.
“The success of the vaccine programme roll out and lower Covid deaths has led to increasing frustrations under continued restrictions and hospitality teams are getting the brunt of this frustration. We have heard of some harrowing instances from members of customer aggression by a small minority of customers who are verbally abusing staff and/or causing property damage when being asked to follow legal requirements.
“We ask that people please remember to be kind to hospitality, these are not their rules, they are simply doing their job and expressing a dislike of the rules will not achieve anything apart from ruining someone’s day.”
Dean Banks, of The Pompadour and Haar at Home is mindful of returning staff and balancing being back open with training. He said, “It’s so hard in the hospitality industry because we’re so short staffed, people are also coming back to work and training issues. It’s difficult for people to go back into the full swing of things very quickly.
“No show diners have been a massive thing for years and years and years, we’ve not been affected massively to be honest. However it’s a culture that needs to change. People don’t understand that every seat has a value in a restaurant, the margins are so small. ”
Stephen Montgomery of Scottish Hospitality Group echos similar concerns about the no-show problem. He said, “As licensed premises reopen we are seeing lots of “no shows” in our restaurants and also hotels. We are also seeing instances of verbal abuse when our wonderful and hard working staff are trying to implement rules and regulations that have been set down by Scottish Government.
“We totally understand that everyone is getting frustrated, however we would ask that everyone to be kind to each other. If you make a reservation and do not then require it, please call and cancel. It only takes a minute, and we will thank you for remembering to do this as it will allow us to free up the table or hotel room. #bekindtohospitality. ”
Gordon McIntyre, founder of Hospitality Health, added, “I am still hearing reports of impatient and bad-mannered guests, however a bigger concern is the continuing number of ‘No Shows’, which is causing a great deal of stress and worry for owners and managers. It is not just the staff who are experiencing a tough time, this loss of income to the business is a real issue. We need customers to be kind enough to inform the venue if they will not be turning up, to allow them to sell the table!”
The Scottish Hospitality Group has called for any decision about restrictions to be given with more notice than last week when an announcement which came into force on Monday was made shortly before 5pm on Friday, ahead of today’s announcement from Nicola Sturgeon about whether Glasgow and Moray, which are both in Level 3, will be able to ease restrictions, and if any other areas should be moved back up.
SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery said, “Businesses in these areas or any other area for that matter need more than a couple of days’ notice of any changes and for any announcement to come at the start of the working day, not the end. Just as we’ve seen in Glasgow, a sudden shift means a lot of wasted time, money, effort, and more importantly anxiety, stress and further mental health concerns for staff and operators.
“It’s hugely dispiriting for hard-working hospitality staff and operators to have their plans changed at the very last minute, not to mention the damage it does to suppliers and public confidence. You would think that after 14 months, those in a position of power would have understood the basics of hospitality and how we operate.
“Now that the vaccine is having such huge benefits, we also think that the main measure should be hospital data not cases. That would be much more proportionate for the situation we’re in now.”
Scotland recorded the highest daily case total since March on Thursday, at 432 new cases yesterday. The rate of cases in East Renfrewshire has risen to 118.3 per 100,000, though the area dropped to Level 2 on Monday where indoor hospitality is permitted. This has pushed it ahead of Glasgow, which remains in Level 3, and saw case rates rise to 112.1 per 100,000.
The Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG), has revealed that its members have served 1,867,000 customers since venues reopened – with only 17 confirmed cases recorded amongst customers and staff.
The group whose members include The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable is now calling on politicians to recognise the crucial role which the industry can play in helping combat the spread of Covid-19.
A new study by Public Health England showed that pubs and restaurants were responsible for less than 3% of infections in the run-up to the curfew being imposed south of the border last weekend, compared with schools and care homes, which accounted for over two thirds of all positive tests.
Stephen Montgomery (pictured), spokesman for the Scottish Hospitality Group, whose members employ over 6,000 people, warned that tighter curfews and shutdowns would dramatically increase the spread of the outbreak as people would simply continue to socialise at home.
He said, “Bars and restaurants are a crucial part of the solution to combat Covid, not the problem. If they are closed down, even for a short time, all the evidence shows that people will simply socialise at home, without any of the safeguards we’ve spent months implementing.
“Our sector is the most regulated in the country and is the only safe place left where people can socialise. Between them, our members have served over 1.8 million customers since reopening after the lockdown and have recorded a total of 17 confirmed cases of Covid. That shows how rigorously we have been implementing the rules and how counter-productive it would be to impose further restrictions.
“The current curfew is not the answer, as we have all seen. It leads to overcrowding in the streets, on public transport and to more house parties, which are major sources of infection. Police Scotland broke up 300 house parties last weekend alone and that will only be the tip of the iceberg.”
The group has written to senior politicians including the First Minister, Cabinet Secretaries and Holyrood Committee Convenors calling on them to see for themselves the comprehensive steps that hard-working staff are taking to protect customers.
Mr Montgomery, who operates two well-known hotels in Dumfries & Galloway, said: “Our sector has an absolutely vital part to play in combatting this virus. We have bent over backwards to ensure staff and customers are protected, with huge efforts being made by the vast majority of responsible operators in social distancing, PPE, track and trace and other hygiene measures.
“If we close down bars and restaurants, all the evidence shows that people will just find a way to socialise in their homes. It is absolutely essential that we remain open to provide a safe haven for communities across the country.
“We would urge politicians to visit our premises to see for themselves just how much effort has been put in to make Scotland’s bars and restaurants safe and secure places for people to come together.
“As well as the public health risks of shutting down the Scottish hospitality sector, the economic cost will be catastrophic for an industry worth £10.6 billion to the Scottish economy annually and which employs 285,000 people. Many of those jobs will be lost forever if businesses which are already on their knees are forced to close.
“We are urging politicians of all parties to protect the sector to enable us to protect our communities.”