Supporting Evidence and Bibliographical Data
Below you’ll find a curated summary of the research that underpins the claims made in this section. Key findings are organized by theme for clarity and quick reference.
1. Systemic Dysregulation and Workplace Hostility
- Mathisen, Einarsen, and Mykletun (200)8 explored bullying and harassment in the restaurant sector, linking these experiences to psychological distress.- Huang and Kwok (2021) found that customer mistreatment leads to negative employee outcomes, including emotional exhaustion and burnout.
- Wong, Kim, and Han (2021) identified unstable work environments and staff shortages as primary stressors for hotel employees.
2. Operational Friction, Burnout, and Economic Loss
- Wigert (2020) reported that 76% of employees experience burnout, with 60% considering leaving their jobs due to it.
- Yikilmaz and Palabiyik (2023) reviewed evidence that burnout results in global economic losses equivalent to the financial gains of the world’s 10 largest multinational enterprises.
3. The Walkout: The Great Resignation and Turnover Rates
- Liu-Lastres, Wen, and Huang (2023) documented the "Big Quit" in hospitality, noting that the quit rate in accommodation and food services reached a record high of 6.4%, the sharpest increase across all service sectors.
- Kwok (2022) analyzed the deepening labor shortage, highlighting that even with millions of unemployed workers, the hospitality sector led the market in unfilled positions
Song, Xu, Tang, and Leong (2025) found that voluntary turnover in the hotel industry is much higher than in other sectors, typically ranging from 30% to 300%.
4. The Ultimate Loss: Suicide Risk in Hospitality Occupations
- Burnett, Wong, Rheinberger, Zeritis, McGillivray, and Torok (2022) found that chefs are significantly more likely to die by suicide compared to those in non-hospitality occupations.
- Grimmond, King, LaMontagne, Oostermeijer, Harrap, Newberry‐Dupé, and Reavley (2024) synthesized global data showing that bar staff, chefs, and head cooks are among the occupations with the highest risk of death by suicide in the US, UK, and Australia.
Addiction and "Culturally Ingrained" Coping
- Grimmond, King, LaMontagne, Oostermeijer, Harrap, Newberry‐Dupé, and Reavley (2024) established that risky alcohol and substance use is common and "culturally ingrained" within the industry as a response to workplace stress.
- Bush and Lipari (2015) found that nearly 1 in 5 hospitality employees used illicit drugs in the past month (the highest rate of any industry), 12% engaged in heavy alcohol use, and 17% were diagnosed with a substance use disorder.
- Giousmpasoglou, Brown, and Cooper (2018) examined alcohol and drug use within Michelin-starred kitchen brigades.
5. Unsustainable Foundations: Risks to Business Longevity
- Liu-Lastres, Wen, and Wei-Jue Huang (2023) argued that the "Great Resignation" was not merely a side effect of the pandemic but a consequence of fundamental flaws in hospitality business models. They concluded that ignoring employees' evolving needs undermines commitment and performance—and that businesses failing to address toxic workplace culture will continue to lose talent at record rates.
- Song, Xu, Tang, and Leong (2025) noted that high employee turnover and poor well-being present a direct "challenge to the sustainable development of businesses" in hospitality.
Bibliographical Data
Burnett, Wong, Rheinberger, Zeritis, McGillivray, and Torok. (2022). Suicide among hospitality workers in Australia, 2006–2017. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57(5), 1039–1047. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02229-7 Giousmpasoglou, C., Brown, L., & Cooper, J. (2018). Alcohol and other drug use in Michelin-starred kitchen brigades. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 70, 59–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.11.003 Grimmond, T., King, T., LaMontagne, A. D., Oostermeijer, S., Harrap, B., Newberry‐Dupé, J., & Reavley, N. (2024). Workplace‐related determinants of mental health in food and bar workers in Western, high‐income countries: A systematic review. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 67(8), 696–711. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23620 Huang, Y.-K., & Kwok, L. (2021). Customer mistreatment and employee customer-focused voice: The bright and dark sides of felt trust. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(10), 3379–3399. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2020-1497 Kwok, L. (2022). Labor shortage: A critical reflection and a call for industry-academia collaboration. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(11), 3929–3943. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2022-0103 Liu-Lastres, B., Wen, H., & Huang, W.-J. (2023). A reflection on the Great Resignation in the hospitality and tourism industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(1), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2022-0551 Song, Z., Xu, Z., Tang, B. M., & Leong, W. N. (2025). The dilemma of frontline servant leadership: The conflict between top management directives and grassroots employee wellbeing and retention. PLOS One, 20(5), e0323811. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323811 Wong, A. K. F., Kim, S. (Sam), Kim, J., & Han, H. (2021). How the COVID-19 pandemic affected hotel Employee stress: Employee perceptions of occupational stressors and their consequences. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102798. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102798 Yikilmaz, I., & Palabiyik, nida. (2023). Burnout in the hospitality sector: A focused review of the research literature. Academy Global Conferences & Journals.
