Study: Almost Half of Crete Hotel Employees Want to Change Jobs

The pressure and pay of tourism jobs on Crete have led dozens of hotel employees to considering changing jobs, found a study released recently by the Heraklion Hotel Employees Association with the support of the Crete Region.

Based on the study findings, the key takeaway is the urgent need to revise labor laws, increase inspections, ensure adherence to regulations, and find ways to improve working conditions in the hospitality sector, said the association.

Chania, Crete.

According to the study, almost half (48.3 percent) of all employees working in hospitality said they’ve considered changing jobs. The reasons they cited included seasonality, job insecurity in cases of crisis, lack of incentives, work load, wages, failure to adhere to collective labor agreements, training opportunities, and conflicts with management in the work space. Indicatively, 63.6 percent of those polled said hotel policies for managing conflicts between subordinates and superiors was not effective.

More than 10 percent of employees in Greece are occupied in F&B and hospitality in the summer months.

Last year, ahead of the launch of the tourism season in Greece, actions were taken to cover extensive staff shortages at tourism-related businesses which appeared to be the result of poor working conditions as cited by the Panhellenic Federation of Catering and Tourist Industry Employees.

The Greek tourism season started off this year with 70,000 jobs open and  in 2022, the Greek hotel sector operated with 60,000 job vacancies or one in five unfilled.

In the meantime, a recent study identified a need train tourism professionals prepared to meet the growing demands of the new era. Indicatively, only 24 percent of employees in the Greek hospitality industry have graduated from tourism schools despite the majority working in 4- and 5-star hotels. According to a study conducted by Deloitte, the 10 professions/skills to be in high demand in Greek tourism in the coming years are: travel agency professional, tour guide, specialist travel advisor for emerging markets, specialist travel consultant, general manager of hospitality operations, public relations manager in hospitality, hotel receptionist, hotel reservations clerk, experiences creation manager, pricing policy professional.