Recruitment crisis thought to lie behind hotel closure
Killeavy Castle Estate in Armagh is to close for two days per week throughout November, with a staffing crisis heightened by Brexit and post-pandemic pressures thought to lay behind the decision.
The hotel and spa in Slieve Gullion is 10 minutes outside Newry City and one hour from both Belfast and Dublin Airports, making it one of Northern Irelands premier Hotel and Spa destinations.
In the tweet, Killeavy Castle Estate said: “For the well-being of our wonderful staff following a busy summer and to ensure consistent high quality customer service, the Estate will be closed for the following midweek dates:
“November 1, 2, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and December 1.”
However, Janice Gault, CEO of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation said: “The issue goes beyond Covid-19 and it would be naïve to suggest staffing wasn’t an issue pre-pandemic. The hotel industry and the wider hospitality sector is now facing a ‘people pandemic’.
“We are facing a people crisis. In March 2021, the Federation surveyed its members to assess the mood prior to reopening and identify the challenges ahead.
“At this time, the emphasis was on the reopening and what would constitute a sustainable and viable industry framework. The standout figure was the number of staff required to reopen, calculated to be 2,565 over the 145-hotel premises.
“In May, the sector did reopen albeit in a restricted manner but the framework proved to work for the industry and customer alike. Some measures have been relaxed but the need to return to full service remains imperative.
“In September 2021, a further survey highlighted the perilous position that hotels have in relation to staff. Of those surveyed, 100% of businesses required additional staff and 85% had restricted their services in line with their available staff complement.
“The headline figure of 1,400 vacancies sent shockwaves through the industry. Hotels at full operational pre-pandemic levels employed 10,000 people; the current level of vacancies equates to 14% of the hotel industry’s staffing need.
“This is a worrying development, particularly as this situation is mirrored across other people intensive sectors: food processing, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. They are all telling a similar tale. “The labour market has altered immeasurably with prospective employees stating job security as their number one priority.”
