Hospitality staff survey questions, by issue
The questions are where it starts: they show you where to act. Each group below begins with what research on hospitality has found, says what the questions help you see and how to track them, then gives the questions in a box. Statements are answered on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
The first question in each box is the core question for that issue. Keep it the same from one survey to the next: research on measuring change over time shows that comparisons only hold when the question stays the same. Use the rest as they are, add your own, or ask us: we work with you to fine-tune your questions.
Turnover and retention
Will new starters stay past their first few months?
Over a third of hospitality staff have been in their job for less than a year, according to CIPD's analysis of ONS data. A meta-analysis of 144 studies found that burnout, role stress and support from co-workers are more closely tied to hospitality workers' plans to leave than to other workers', and thinking about leaving is itself the strongest single predictor of actually leaving, so ask it early.
What it helps you see: who is thinking of leaving in their first weeks, and what is behind it, from the rota to the team around them.
Questions to ask
- I see myself still working here in a year's time.
- My first shifts were well organised and I knew who to ask.
- I was trained properly before I worked on my own.
- I can see a future for myself here.
- What nearly made you leave, or still might?
How to track it: ask new starters through an onboarding journey, for example on their first day and again after a month, and leavers through an exit survey. Compare venues on a dashboard to see where people leave soonest.
Shift work and fatigue
Do rotas let people plan their lives?
About 337,000 people in accommodation and food services are on zero-hours contracts, more than a quarter of everyone in the UK on such a contract. In a large study of service-sector workers in the US, unstable and unpredictable schedules were much more strongly linked to psychological distress, poor sleep and unhappiness than low pay was.
What it helps you see: whether rotas come with enough notice, whether people get the hours they were promised, and whether breaks happen when it's busy.
Questions to ask
- My hours and rota let me get enough rest between shifts.
- I get my rota with enough notice to plan my life.
- I get the hours I was promised.
- My breaks happen, even on busy services.
How to track it: ask in a short pulse survey every month, or after a change to how rotas are made, and compare venues and departments.
Pay and recognition
Do people feel fairly paid, and are tips shared fairly?
Median monthly pay in accommodation and food services was £1,446 in August 2026, against £2,659 across all employees, a gap that also reflects shorter hours.
What it helps you see: whether people feel fairly paid for what they do, and whether they understand how tips and service charges are shared and think it's fair.
Questions to ask
- I am fairly paid for the work I do.
- I understand how tips and service charges are shared here.
- The way tips are shared is fair.
- Good work is noticed and recognised here.
How to track it: ask everyone when you review your tipping policy, and compare front of house with the kitchen.
Discrimination, harassment and inclusion
Are staff protected from harassment, including by guests?
In a 2025/26 survey of 252 hospitality workers in Scotland, 83.1% had experienced verbal abuse and nearly half had experienced sexual harassment or abuse at least sometimes, mostly from guests, and much of it went unreported.
What it helps you see: what people experience and see, from guests, colleagues and managers, whether they report it, and what happened when they did.
Questions to ask
- I am treated with respect by the people I work with.
- I feel safe from harassment by guests.
- My manager steps in when a guest crosses the line.
- If I reported harassment, I'm confident it would be dealt with.
How to track it: ask in every survey, with the ethics filter on so results are only shown for groups of six or more, and compare venues and shifts. An alert tells the right person that an answer needs attention.
Management and support
Are shift managers bringing out the best in people?
Where hotels and restaurants have skills gaps, 65% involve management and leadership skills, against 49% across all sectors. In a study of 3,149 employees in a restaurant chain, managers who were open to ideas got more of them, because staff felt safe to speak up.
What it helps you see: which managers give feedback, deal with problems and share out shifts fairly, and where people feel safe to suggest a better way.
Questions to ask
- My manager supports me when I need it.
- My manager is fair when sharing out shifts.
- I get useful feedback on how I'm doing.
- I feel safe to suggest a better way of doing things.
- What one thing would make your shifts run better?
How to track it: split results by venue and department, with the ethics filter on, and bring what you learn into managers' one-to-ones.
Burnout and wellbeing · Safety
Is the pressure of service getting to people?
Accommodation and food services has the highest rate of self-reported injury at work of any industry: 3,080 per 100,000 workers, against 1,780 across all industries. HSE says slips and trips are the most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces, and that kitchen assistants, chefs and waiting staff are the most affected. Studies of chefs in Northern Ireland and of Michelin-starred kitchens in Great Britain and Ireland describe high stress, and bullying passed off as part of the culture.
What it helps you see: where rushing and short staffing put people at risk, how close people are to burning out at peak, and whether banter crosses a line.
Questions to ask
- I have enough energy left for life outside work.
- I feel safe at work.
- We have enough people on shift to work safely when it's busy.
- The people I work with support each other.
- Banter in my team never crosses the line into bullying.
How to track it: ask after your busiest weeks, and compare kitchens, bars and floors on a dashboard.
