Mental Strain Taking Toll on Restaurant Workers, Report Says

New York, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – A new report from AmTrust on injuries for restaurant workers finds that mental strain claims have skyrocketed since the pandemic. 

Labor shortages, the great reshuffle and returning to work after closures are thought to be the cause behind increases in injuries the report said. After reviewing more than 170,000 workers’ compensation claims, the company found that while overall injuries are down when compared to pre-pandemic claims, some injuries, like crushing and mental stress are up. 

Overall, the company said, “factoring in the number of active payroll employees, injuries were down 25 percent during 2020 and remained below pre-pandemic numbers in 2021 at -5 percent.” 

However, the report found that crushing injuries were up by 89 percent, while mental stress claims were up by 71 percent. Fainting injuries were up by 61 percent, the report showed, while inflammation injuries were up by 35 percent.

“Restaurant workers can face high stress levels, especially with staffing shortages,” said Matt Zender, Senior Vice President, Workers’ Compensation Strategy at AmTrust. “Restauranteurs should lean on their onboarding experience to ensure employee safety. They can use this opportunity to help demonstrate what makes their operation unique and use resources from their workers’ compensation carrier to help address injury risks in advance of an accident.” 

Cuts are the most common injury for restaurant workers, the company found, but falls are the injuries that result in larger payouts. Workers’ compensation claims from motor vehicle-related injuries cost the most, the report said, with each motor vehicle-related claim paying out $20,000 on average -1,215 percent higher than claims for cuts. 

Fingers and hands are the top most injured body parts, the report said, with more than $16 million in claims paid out for finger injuries, and more than $14 million paid out for injuries to hands. 

The company said the use of gloves and other protective gear can help protect employees from cuts to the hands and fingers, as would using stable cutting boards or solid surfaces, and cutting away from the body. 

Solving employees mental stress isn’t as easy. 

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, workers in the hospitality business have had an especially rough couple of years. From extra work due to low staffing to harsh treatment from customers, restaurant work has been extremely challenging. The Commission said workers reached out to report incidents of “incivility and harassment” during the pandemic.

With the holiday season coming, the commission released a guide to support mental health in their workplaces. Among the suggests were seeking out help, communicating with compassion, reporting bullying and harassment to managers, and being mindful of how winter’s darker days can impact others’ mood. 

One Colorado restauranteur went so far this year to hire a therapist. 

In February, Colorado Public Radio reported that Frank Bonanno, owner of French 75 and nine other restaurants in Denver hired a staff therapist to help his 400 employees. 

Bonanno said his company was struggling to find workers in 2021. Potential employees were concerned about their mental health. 

“We put a Survey Monkey out and pay was No. 3,” Bonanno told CPR. “Mental health was No. 1. Employees wanted security, and mental health, and then pay.” 

While all of his restaurants offer competitive pay and benefits, he said, mental health benefits weren’t very good. 

“Most such psychologists and psychiatrists are out-of-pocket for people to go to. And we were looking for a way to make our employees happy,” he said. 

So, after surveying employees and figuring out what made the most sense, in October 2021, he hired Qiana Torres Flores, a licensed professional counselor. Flores, whose official title is “wellness director”, travels between the restaurants and provides group counseling, one-on-one sessions, conflict resolution and referrals. Bonanno said she had taught employees techniques to deal with stress and held workshops to help employees deal with holiday-related sadness. 

“Especially in the restaurant and hospitality industry, that stress bucket is really full a lot of the time. So I think having someone in this kind of capacity, just accessible and approachable, can be really useful,” Flores said. 

Bonanno said the program has given him a competitive edge in getting and retaining staff. 

The Colorado Restaurant Association said mental health is a concern across the industry. In a recent survey, the association said more than 80 percent of its members reported an increase in the stress levels of their staff, and a third of the members reported they had employees ask for mental health services or resources. 

Another project, Fair Kitchens, is working to tackle the problem from withing. Fair Kitchens said it is “a movement fighting for a more resilient and sustainable foodservice and hospitality industry.” Started in 2018, the same year chef Anthony Bourdain committed suicide, the founders said they were moved to act when research from Unilever Food Solutions found that

74 percent of chefs were sleep deprived to the point of exhaustion, 63 percent of chefs felt depress and more than half felt they had been pushed to the breaking point. Unilever and a group of chefs came together to create a healthier culture in the food service industry. The group provides mental health training, as well as mental health guides, resources and wellbeing check-in templates. 

While Fair Kitchens is international, there are several resources closer to home.

Southern Smoke provides free mental health care to anyone in the food and beverage industry located in Texas, California, Louisiana and Illinois. The group also offers emergency grants to hospitality workers across all 50 states who may need funds for mental health care. A group called “Restaurant After Hours” works to help hospitality employees get the information they need when it comes to mental health resources, while serving as an advocate for mental well-being in the industry. And “Chefs with Issues” is a Facebook group that provides its members with space to talk through the issues workers in the industry face.

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