Chronic understaffing within the hospitality industry is getting worse as business picks up, and certain COVID-19 restrictions are making the issue more pronounced, according to the Chamber of SMEs.
Eight establishments struggling to find workers have contacted the chamber’s deputy president Philip Fenech since the understaffing crisis within the hospitality industry first surfaced.
Fenech said certain COVID-19 measures are leaving some with no other choice but to have to employ more staff.
Restaurants, hotels and bars which previously relied on self-service are having to recruit more people due to the switch to table service, and some establishments are having to employ more security personnel to manage queues, he explained.
“While these restrictions aren’t new, we are really starting to feel the pinch now because tourism has opened again in a scenario where many have been forced to operate with limited staff.”
He pointed out that the chamber as well as other stakeholders were in constant discussions with the authorities to amend certain restrictions in such a way as to support business owners without putting people at risk.
One of the proposals has been to replace the ban on self-service with a protective shade of Perspex along the counter as well as floor markings for crowd control. This alone would alleviate a lot of pressure, especially from hotels and bars which depend on self-service. While Fenech said it was important to open up in a slow and cautious manner, he urged the authorities not to be conservative unless really needed.
“The economic consequences and the collateral damage as a result of some of these restrictions really needs to be taken into consideration,” he said.
While solutions to the worker shortage continued to be sought, many establishments were reporting they had been in touch with potential staff overseas, explained Fenech. Some were in contact with staff members who left during the pandemic and had plans to return, he said.
Others were waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted as they were expecting new recruits from countries such as from Nepal and India.
Julian Sammut, the owner of a popular chain of establishments said operators were attempting to solve the chronic problem of understaffing by shifting their focus overseas.
“We’re now waiting for people to come from overseas, people who are returning staff members, and new recruits. They’re just waiting until they can travel. The problem is far from solved but we are slowly managing to get things together,” he said.