Pubs struggling to recruit bar staff

After spending most of the past 15 months closed due to the strictest Covid restrictions in Europe, local pubs are struggling to recruit staff.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner as it appeared increasingly likely that the government will postpone the return of indoor dining next week due to concerns about the Delta variant, the chair of the Westmeath branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), Liam Gilleran says that he and many other local publicans are on the hunt for new staff to replace people who have left sector.

“People don't know whether their jobs are safe so they are going to a non-hospitality sector. That is a nightmare from our point of view. We are down three staff here. It is tough work. You look at any pub in Mullingar and every single one of them is looking for staff.

“We are down three full time staff and it is a difficult one. It is very difficult to get people to come back into hospitality. Some people mention the PUP, but if the truth be known people don't want to get involved in hospitality because they are not guaranteed work because the government could close it down again.

“We are all advertising for staff. The wages are good in this industry but the problem is that you have a government that seems to cast us aside. You can talk about NPHET until the cows come home but at the end its the government that signs the documents.”

Kieran Smith, the proprietor of Smiddy's Bar on Dominick Street, is currently trying to recruit full and part time staff in advance of reopening when he can welcome indoor customers.

While he says that most of his staff have indicated that thankfully they will be returning, he says that the restrictions that he expects to be in place when indoor customers are allowed to return will mean that most pubs will need extra staff.

“When it comes back there will be full table service I'd imagine so we will need more staff to ensure that nobody is left waiting.

He also believes that the PUP payment of €350 has distorted the market when it comes to recruiting part time staff for the hospitality sector.

“It was probably made too lucrative. There were people who were getting maybe €200 for a part time job and then all of a sudden they were getting €350. It really didn't make any sense.

“Anyone that was in a part-time job and had any ambitions to travel they were able to save up their €350 for the last 14 months and now they have a few euro to go away.

“I know the government was trying to do right thing but by doing the right thing they have created another problem.

“Talking to a few of our staff, they are saying 'Jim is going travelling or Julie is going travelling', because they have money now. They couldn't go out so all they could do was build [their savings].”

With the government expected to make an announcement today, Tuesday, on whether pubs and the rest of the hospitality sector will be able to resume indoor service next Monday, Mr Gilleran says that unless the government “bites the bullet” and lets the hospitality sector fully reopen on July 5, businesses will find it even harder to recruit new staff in the coming months..

“Let's be under no illusion the government are using allowing outdoor service as a smokescreen to get away from the diabolical treatment of hospitality. They think that his is going to appease hospitality, no way. It is like telling a farmer they have 100 acres and they can only farm 10 acres. It is not stacking up at all.

“The government has cast us aside. You can talk about NPHET until the cows come home but at the end of the day they are ones who sign the documents closing hospitality. Some day they are going to have to bite the bullet.

“I have been beating this drum for a long, long time. They just have to get on with.”