SINGAPORE: In his first month working at a restaurant, an employee made a compelling case for greater appreciation of F&B workers, highlighting how they are often overlooked. Drawing from his own experience, he detailed the relentless challenges of the job—navigating packed dining rooms, juggling multiple tasks at once, and constantly adapting to fast-paced demands.
“F&B workers are underappreciated,” the tired worker wrote in an online forum on Tuesday (April 1). “It’s my first month into working part-time in the F&B industry and I already feel like quitting. It’s so tough,” he said, listing down several aspects of the job that make it extremely demanding: “Demands from the manager and customers, and the restaurant I’m working at is crowded 24/7, multi-tasking, etc.”
It feels like I still have so much to learn and my manager expects me to be good at it already but I keep making mistakes,” he shared, asking Singaporeans for advice and encouragement. “Or should I just quit?” he asked. “I don’t even think my coworkers want me there.”
A handful of Singaporeans responded to the post with words of encouragement and appreciation for the burnt-out worker, while a few suggested that the writer resign and find a different industry to work in.
“Yes, I agree that they are truly under-appreciated,” said one. “I used to work in a service role where I was paid very little. One day, an entitled customer started yelling at me because he couldn’t wait his turn. It made me want to quit my job on the spot and shout back at him. Just last week, I saw a man yelling at an auntie working at an ice cream counter. I don’t know why he was upset, but I will always support the service workers. Even if the service isn’t perfect, there’s no excuse for yelling at them.”
“Like others said, Hang in there. You will get used to it,” said another. “I worked part-time in the F&B industry many times before, the longest span being around eight months. You will be lost at the start, but in F&B, everything is about the same and repetitive every day. Once you pass that period, you will slowly like it there. It’s part-time anyway.”
F&B workers and emotional labour burnout
According to Staff Any, a study on workers’ mental health in Singapore showed that 85% of workers say they feel that they are at risk of work burnout. 20% of them admitted that they already feel exhausted at work. Given the nature of F&B jobs, being on their feet the whole time, dealing with customers, and managers, and the busy environment that can get overstimulating, people who work in the F&B industry may find themselves more susceptible to making mistakes, forgetting things, and getting easily frustrated. These are often symptoms of labour burnout.
Given that many F&B workers still have to manage their own emotions while dealing with customers, they can also be very prone to experiencing emotional burnout. After all, they must keep their emotions in check in order to fulfil their work duties and stay calm even in stressful, fast-paced environments.
Emotional labour burnout negatively affects both the employees and their employers. Given this, there are strategies that can be put in place to reduce emotional labour burnout. While creating an uplifting and supportive work environment where employees feel safe, cared for, and appreciated is crucial, it is also helpful to include emotional training sessions so that employees can learn how to properly manage the stress that comes with the job. Positive feedback can also boost morale and keep employees motivated. Furthermore, teams must have an effective conflict resolution system to keep the workplace synergy positive.
See also: Young Singaporean student shares, “I’m genuinely scared of unemployment.”
Featured image by Depositphotos/ airdone (for illustration purposes only)