It found that three quarters of those in the study (74%) have reported being verbally abused by a customer and one in five (20%) had severe mental health problems they believe to be a direct result of their job.
It also revealed that almost two thirds (62%) of workers do not think that the sector looked after its employees and that any support available it was inconsistent or had limited awareness among employees.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality said: “Hospitality is a dynamic industry where careers can be fun and rewarding but these findings are obviously of concern. Many of our members already have practises and programmes in place to support those dealing with mental health issues, but it is clear that more needs to be done – especially if we are to encourage more British workers to consider a career in a sector with an increasingly acute labour shortage.
“Whether it is to address internal or external matters that lead to a stressful work environment, these results reiterate that we as an industry must work faster to provide our valuable and committed staff with the support they need. In the work place in particular, staff abuse from customers or colleagues should never be tolerated and businesses must always act firmly to protect staff.
“By integrating this thinking into business strategy and investing more in supporting resources, businesses can show they are serious about offering their staff a safe work environment. We work closely with charities such as Hospitality Action and The Licenced Trade Charity, assist both businesses and employees promote measures to ensure better mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
“As a trustee of Hospitality Action, I have seen first-hand the dedicated efforts that are being made to develop employee assistance and support. UKHospitality is committed to helping on this front and will be signposting these services to businesses and employees."