The Drinks Trust launches wellbeing programme for hospitality staff

The Drinks Trust is pioneering a wellbeing initiative to help bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the Midlands protect the wellbeing of their workers.

A new wellbeing initiative for hospitality workers is being pioneered by The Drinks Trust in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

According to The Drinks Trust, which works to protect the interests of the UK drinks and hospitality industry, the UK is currently facing “an employee absenteeism crisis” due to stress and mental health problems.

A recent survey of 900 businesses (carried out by the Chartered Institute of Professional Development) shows that employee absences are at a 10-year high, which is costing the UK economy more than £18 billion in lost staff time.

In 76% of short-term absences, the reason cited was poor mental health.

Furthermore, 46% of UK workers also say they’ve showed up for work in recent months despite not feeling physically or mentally well enough to perform their duties.

To address the crisis, The Drinks Trust and the West Midlands Combined Authority have created a “comprehensive support package” to help local businesses operating in the night-time economy sector.

New wellbeing programme

The new wellbeing programme is open to any business that operates in the night-time economy, including bars, nightclubs and restaurants, and will consist of two main components: a series of wellbeing courses and access to an exclusive wellbeing platform.

The Wellbeing Champion CPD (Continued Professional Development) accredited course will be trialled on around 60 hospitality businesses in the West Midlands area. Specially designed for the drinks hospitality industry, the aim of the course is to provide employers with practical tools and knowledge to support their colleagues, as well as equipping them with the resources to execute a wellbeing strategy for their company.

A wellbeing platform will also house “a huge library of resources, webinars, and a wellbeing calendar,” according to The Drinks Trust.

“The Drinks Trust’s charitable purpose is to support the drinks sector workforce, from the point of production, to the point of sale. We advocate for, and provide services towards, enhancing the wellbeing of professionals within the industry,” said Ross Carter, CEO of The Drinks Trust.

“This innovative wellbeing initiative, in collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority, aims to assist businesses in crafting their wellbeing strategies.”

He added that “the ultimate aim” of the partnership is to recognise the pivotal role that wellbeing plays in “sustaining a thriving business environment.”

The West Midlands Combined Authority joins a number of companies that have already signed up to The Drinks Trust’s Business Advisory Programme, including Chapel Down, Claridge’s, Davy’s, Berkmann, Gusborne, Hatch Mansfield, and Jeroboams.