Hotel staff face one of the highest turnover rates within the Accommodation and Food Service sector. This is driven by irregular night shifts and long hours resulting from the hotel’s 24/7 operation, combined with the burden of high-level hospitality (emotional labor) required to deliver a superior customer experience.
This article provides a detailed explanation of the factors leading to high turnover in this industry, examining them from four perspectives: working conditions, compensation/benefits, workload, and career development.
Turnover Rates in the Accommodation and Food Service Industries (Latest Data)
Hotel staff data is included within this broader category.
| Category | Accommodation and Food Service Turnover Rate | Average Turnover Rate Across All Industries |
| Annual Turnover Rate | 26.8% (2022) | 15.0% (2022) |
| Turnover Rate within 3 Years (New University Graduates) | 55.4% (March 2022 Graduates) | 33.8% (March 2022 Graduates) |
| Turnover Rate within 3 Years (New High School Graduates) | 64.7% (March 2022 Graduates) | 37.9% (March 2022 Graduates) |
1. The Issue of Working Hours (Irregular Shifts Due to 24-Hour Operation)
Since hotels provide service around the clock, they rely on complex shift systems combining day, night, early, and late shifts, placing a significant strain on employees’ mental and physical health.
Irregular Working Hours:
- Night and Late-Night Shifts: Front desk and security staff must work overnight and early morning shifts, disrupting life rhythms and leading to accumulated fatigue.
- Complex Shift Patterns: Shifts change frequently, making it hard to schedule private life. The need to work weekends and holidays limits time spent with family and friends.
Normalization of Long Working Hours:
- Long Cleaning/Preparation Times: Tasks like guest room cleaning, banquet setup, and breakfast venue preparation/clearing often generate overtime work.
- Dual Role Due to Staff Shortages: Chronic labor shortages force staff to combine multiple roles, such as front desk and bell duties or cleaning management, resulting in increased overtime.
2. The Issue of Compensation and Benefits (Wages Not Commensurate with Hospitality)
Despite requiring high-level customer service skills, language abilities, and flexibility, low wage levels contribute to the turnover of young and specialized staff.
Low Salary Levels:
- Imbalance of Expertise and Responsibility: Employees are expected to possess specialized skills like advanced language proficiency, superior etiquette, and emergency response capability, along with heavy responsibility. Yet, many feel their wages are low compared to other industries.
- Instability of Bonuses and Allowances: Revenue is sensitive to tourism demand and occupancy rates, meaning bonuses and various allowances can become unstable based on the economic situation.
Difficulty Taking Time Off:
- Peak Seasons Align with Public Holidays: It is difficult to take time off during busy periods like Golden Week, Obon, and New Year’s, making adequate rest difficult throughout the year.
- Reluctance to Take Paid Leave: Operating with minimal staff creates psychological resistance to taking paid leave, as staff are hesitant to cause a shortage, leading to low utilization rates.
3. Workload and Mental Stress (High-Level Emotional and Physical Labor)
The nature of providing a specialized, non-everyday experience means high customer expectations, which directly translate into mental and physical strain.
Mental and Emotional Stress:
- Pressure for Perfect Service: The burden of “Emotional Labor” is immense, as staff must constantly maintain smiles and polite language to meet high customer expectations for hospitality.
- Complaint Handling: Dealing with customer complaints (troubles during stay, facility dissatisfaction, service errors) involves extremely high mental stress.
- Handling Diverse Customer Bases: Flexibility is required to manage customers of varying nationalities and cultures, particularly with inbound tourism.
Physical Strain:
- Standing Work: Most positions—front desk, restaurant, bell staff—require long hours of standing.
- Heavy Cleaning Work: Guest room cleaning involves time-constrained, physically demanding tasks like lifting heavy bedding and cleaning wet areas.
4. Issues with Career Development and Training Systems
Despite the glamorous image, insufficient training and feelings of career stagnation can lead to turnover.
OJT-Centered Training System:
- Lack of Systematic Training: Due to the busy environment, training for new employees is often skewed towards OJT, lacking systematic training and feedback.
- High Learning Curve: New hires often feel anxious due to the vast knowledge required (hotel-specific rules, etiquette, emergency response).
Feeling of Limited Career Progression:
- Slow Advancement: In large hotel chains, promotion can be slow, or opportunities for departmental transfer may be limited, leading to a sense of career stagnation.
- Stuck in Operational Roles: If staff cannot advance to specialized roles (e.g., Concierge), a sense of being trapped in general operational duties can lead to turnover.
- High Skill Demand: Many skills are required (language proficiency, IT, management), but some companies rely on the individual to invest in acquiring them.
The Structure of the Vicious Cycle
In the hotel industry, a clear vicious cycle exists: “Irregular 24-hour shifts due to staff shortages → Low wages and excessive physical/mental burden → Experienced staff quit → Remaining staff are forced to operate inefficiently.”Crucially, the staff’s professional ethic of “not inconveniencing the customer” often results in sacrificing their own health and work-life balance, accelerating turnover.
