Fie, fie! How wayward is this foolish love
Alas, poor Shakespeare, greetings card vendors know thee well. And never is this more apparent than on St Valentine's Day, when some of the Great Bard's best-remembered phrases are distributed on flimsy bits of board for commercial gain.
St Valentine's Day is big business, and hotels and restaurants cash in on this as much as anyone. Operators all over the country entice couples into their dining rooms for candlelit dinners with special menus.Never mind that the number of covers will be down because the tables are laid for two, Champagne will be sold, passion fruit served and, in some cases, proposals of marriage made.
Forget the mid-winter blues, this is the time for a declaration of love.
It's appropriate that the most human of industries picks up the tradition of St Valentine, as it's often said that hospitality is fuelled by passion. How many times do we hear the phrase: "I love this business"?
But, as operators and employers plan their aphrodisiac starters and organise their balls, as customers don their seductive finery, a thought should be spared for some of the workers toiling away in the background. A worrying trend is being highlighted by trade union officials that, if true, takes the gloss off tonight's pink icing.
The Transport and General Workers' Union has accused some large London hotels of ducking their employment responsibilities by commissioning outside contractors to do the low-paid jobs that it's becoming increasingly difficult to recruit for. Not all contractors are as scrupulous about their employment practices as might be hoped, it seems, and they are finding as many legal loopholes as they can to avoid paying the Minimum Wage.
The Guardian newspaper highlighted this problem with a special report a couple of weeks ago. The article was a pebble in the satisfied millpond of balanced budgets, clean rooms and "job done", and it continues to cause ripples of disquiet in the industry.
Recruiting staff into hospitality continues to be a serious problem, but we tend to think of it as affecting only the so-called "skilled" departments, such as kitchens, restaurants and reception areas. Unfortunately, those unseen, often-forgotten, back of house functions, such as maintenance and housekeeping, are struggling just as much to recruit good-quality, dependable workers.
If the answer to the problem is to subcontract the work, then fine. And if the subcontractor delivers the service required at an acceptable price, then that's also fine - as long as the law isn't being broken and workers aren't being short-changed by dodgy dealing in the payroll department.
After all the effort that has gone into improving the image of hospitality over the past few years, it would be a shame for a creeping malaise like poor sub-contracting to undo the good work.
If hotels employ subcontractors, they must accept the ultimate responsibility for the workers who do the job - if not legally, then morally. It may be convenient for hotel managers to wash their hands of subcontracted employees, but the public - and prospective employees in other departments - won't see it like that.
So, to misquote Shakespeare again, if love be the food of the industry's music, play on - but make sure the notes can be heard all over the house, and not just at the front where the customers are.
