Stress and anxiety rise amongst drinks trade professionals, survey finds

Stress and anxiety have been some of the biggest concerns among drinks trade professionals this year, with around 55% of people experiencing difficulties, according to a new survey by the trade charity, The Drinks Trust (formerly The Benevolent).

The Drinks Trade’s CEO, Ross Carter

CEO Ross Carter said the results of the survey demonstrates there is important work to be done within the industry in terms of addressing mental health probems, improving diversity and inclusion, and equipping the workforce with the right skills in the post-pandemic world.

Its findings showed that stress and anxiety are the main wellbeing concerns among respondents with 55% experiencing difficulties but only 17% turning to their employer for support. Meanwhile training is another area of concern, with 59% of respondents feeling that they need to upskill as a result of Covid-19.

Diversity and inclusion is another important area that was highlighted, with around 66% of respondents believing that diversity has remained the same in the industry in this year, and only 29% receiving any kind of training on diversity and inclusion. Disappointingly, 23% revealing that they had faced discrimination due to race, gender, sexuality or disability in the workplace.

“The need for improved diversity and inclusion in our industry, has been on our radar for a long time now, and we now feel it’s time for The Drinks Trust to play a more active role in this pivotal conversation,” Carter said.

He added that it was “concerning” that people still felt there was a stigma attached to mental health difficulties, which prevented them from asking for support from their employers.

“Please allow me to remind you that The Drinks Trust’s helpline is available 24/7 and with all calls answered by counsellors and clinically trained psychotherapists, to help industry workers receive in the moment support to help them cope more effectively with any personal or work-related problems they may be experiencing,” he said.

He also pointed to The Drinks Trust’s new online networking platform, The Drinks Community, which was launched last month to connect members of the trade and enable them to share knowledge, saying it would provide “a much-needed upskilling, peer-to-peer networking and mentorship programme.”

The Drinks Trust’s Annual Survey was established to understand the wellbeing of the hospitality and drinks workforce as well as find out their thoughts on a range of subjects including diversity and inclusion in the industry in order to better tailor its activities and support. It comprised four sections covering ‘you’, ‘your work life’, ‘diversity’ and ‘your wellbeing’ to target areas that needed work.