ULLAPOOL HOSPITALITY SECTOR STAFFING CRISIS

Ullapool Hospitality Sector Staffing Crisis

You will be aware of the high number of unfilled vacancies in cafes, takeaways, restaurants, bars and hotels in Ullapool and surrounding areas this season. This has forced some businesses to cut their hours or reduce their services putting them at risk, affecting the experience of visitors and other businesses that serve tourism, meaning that the community as a whole will feel the wider economic impacts.

While we don't know what solutions can be found, Ullapool Community Trust's Employment & Training Working Group, Ullapool Harbour Trust and others are organising an initiative to gather views, including a public meeting on 4 May inviting businesses, residents and others to have their say and share ideas.

Please give your views in this very short survey below (5 mins minimum time to however much you want to give it!)

All responses will be kept anonymous.

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* 1. Please describe your position (select the option/s most relevant to this survey).:

Business owner - Hotel

Business owner - Bar

Business owner - B&B

Business owner - Cafe

Business owner - Take-Away

Business owner - Campsite/ campervan site

Business owner - tourism/adventure activities

Sailing visitor

Fisher

Ferry customer

Freight visitor

Local resident (Ullapool and surrounding areas)

Local employee at a local hospitality business

Local employee at a non-hospitality business

Local employee in tourism services

Other business owner

Local authority

Local community group.

Regular tourist visitor

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* 2. What, in your view, are the key factors behind businesses not being able to fill staff vacancies?

	Very important	Somewhat important	Not that important
Lack of affordable housing	Lack of affordable housing Very important	Lack of affordable housing Somewhat important	Lack of affordable housing Not that important
Lack of childcare	Lack of childcare Very important	Lack of childcare Somewhat important	Lack of childcare Not that important
Unsociable hours	Unsociable hours Very important	Unsociable hours Somewhat important	Unsociable hours Not that important
Inadequate pay	Inadequate pay Very important	Inadequate pay Somewhat important	Inadequate pay Not that important
Long hours	Long hours Very important	Long hours Somewhat important	Long hours Not that important
Lack of flexibility	Lack of flexibility Very important	Lack of flexibility Somewhat important	Lack of flexibility Not that important
Concern about working conditions	Concern about working conditions Very important	Concern about working conditions Somewhat important	Concern about working conditions Not that important
Too small a staffing pool	Too small a staffing pool Very important	Too small a staffing pool Somewhat important	Too small a staffing pool Not that important
Cost of living crisis affecting prices and ability of tourists to pay	Cost of living crisis affecting prices and ability of tourists to pay Very important	Cost of living crisis affecting prices and ability of tourists to pay Somewhat important	Cost of living crisis affecting prices and ability of tourists to pay Not that important
Covid illness	Covid illness Very important	Covid illness Somewhat important	Covid illness Not that important
Covid ongoing impacts of lockdown/ staff furlough	Covid ongoing impacts of lockdown/ staff furlough Very important	Covid ongoing impacts of lockdown/ staff furlough Somewhat important	Covid ongoing impacts of lockdown/ staff furlough Not that important

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* 3. If you think there are any other factors not mentioned above, please state these below.

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* 4. Do you know of any solutions elsewhere that have been tried and appear to work for this sector?

Question Title

* 5. Do you have ideas to alleviate the staffing strain on local businesses this summer?

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* 6. Some local residents have expressed interest in helping out on a casual paid labour basis, to cover the odd shift working alongside existing staff. Would this help? Would you be willing to help out in in this way? What would it take to make something like this work? Please give any views below.

ULLAPOOL HOSPITALITY SECTOR STAFFING CRISIS