The Impact of COVID-19 on Quarantine Hotel Employees

Abstract

Employee well-being is vital to the sustainability of the hospitality industry as service affects excellence and overall guest satisfaction. During the COVID-19 era, several hotels became quarantine hotels for patients and suspected cases. The impact of the pandemic on quarantine hotel employee well-being is not well understood. This study examines how COVID-19 affected hospitality employees working in quarantine hotels. It also determines the strategies that could reduce stress and improve well-being. A qualitative research design was adopted as the strategy for inquiry, using interviews to collect data. Interview participants were employees from a South African hotel group who worked in a quarantine hotel. The main findings of the project are that COVID-19 altered hospitality employees’ well-being and left them anxious and depressed. They experienced job insecurities and noted financial issues. Those who were able to live on hotel premises were relieved not to expose their families to the virus but were constantly concerned for their well-being. However, flexible work schedules, acknowledgement of family responsibilities, and informative communications from managers reduced employee stress and increased reassurance of their importance. They highlighted that restricting the news they were exposed to, and following government protocols reduced anxiety. This reinforced the necessity of communication from managers to guide and ease their concerns. The implications of these strategies for future crisis management indicate the necessity to react quickly and decisively. Open lines of communication are vital to guiding the hotel employees into a mode of resilience to ensure sustainability.