Throughout WA Mental Health Week, WA’s hospitality venues are uniting to drive donations towards Healthy Mind Menu Inc and help support the mental health of WA’s hospitality workers.
Australian Hotels Association (WA) CEO Bradley Woods said 2020 had been an extremely challenging year for WA’s hospitality industry, with COVID-19 causing unprecedented pressures associated with border restrictions, forced shutdowns and precarious job security.
“When we started Healthy Mind Menu Inc. we were aware that hospitality workers were already predisposed to facing higher rates of mental health issues, however COVID-19 has clearly exacerbated stress and anxiety throughout the workforce.”
“WA has done extraordinarily well in dealing with this crisis but we know that there is still a high degree of uncertainty in the industry, plus the struggles of this year have been significant for many.”
“Eighty per cent of hospitality workers have admitted that mental health is a challenge faced by the majority within the industry and so we know we need to do more to ensure workers have access to appropriate resources and practical assistance.”
“2020 might be a year to forget but it is important that we remember the mental health issues it may cause workers, owners and operators in our industry.”
About Healthy Mind Menu Inc.
- Top chefs, leading hospitality industry figures and mental health advocates joined forces in 2018 to create “Healthy Mind Menu Inc.” to support WA’s hospitality staff.
- The organisation has run seminars, workshops, fund raising events and recently launched a dedicated free online mental wellbeing course which has attracted over 1,000 participants.
- Research has shown hospitality workers suffer from high rates of mental health problems.
- In 2017, 563 workers in the hospitality industry took their own lives in Australia. Lifeline reports that
44% of hospitality workers would not talk to anyone if they had a problem. - In 2016 a young Western Australian chef tragically took his own life, prompting the creation of a long overdue conversation within the hospitality industry about how to prioritise mental health for those who work in the sector.
- Since his passing, industry leaders and colleagues who were close to the chef took it upon themselves to lead a campaign to develop and launch Healthy Mind Menu, placing a spotlight on mental health in hospitality.
- During WA Mental Health Week (10-17 October) WA venues are being encouraged to donate to Healthy Mind Menu Inc. to support the mental health of WA’s hospitality workforce.
