Fostering mentally healthy workplaces in the hospitality and tourism sector: From Experience 

As a restaurateur and co-owner of Tasmanian restaurants Stillwater and formerly a co-founder and operator of Black Cow Bistro, Bianca Welsh understands the demands that hospitality workers can face. These demands can include long hours working in high-pressure, stressful environments with high expectations. She is also acutely aware of how these workplace factors can impact workers in her restaurants, most of whom are young people aged under 25.   

Ms Welsh recalls one worker who appeared to be experiencing mental health challenges. She talked to the worker and expressed concerns about their health. The worker thanked her for starting the conversation, sought help and then returned to work, improving their performance significantly.  

Ms Welsh and her team have worked to create a comfortable workplace where workers can be themselves. Flexibility is key, providing different roles and responsibilities that suit each worker.   

 “We talk about mental health and illness in the workplace and how we want that to be well communicated. We want to have those conversations with people.” Bianca Welsh, Founder and restaurateur  

 Drawing on experience in her own restaurants, Ms Welsh founded From Experience to address mental health challenges facing the hospitality and tourism sector. Services include:  

• Mental Health First Aid training  
• peer-to-peer support targeted at business owners, leaders and managers  
• group presentations and workshops  
• public speaking to promote awareness and action.  

The organisation also curates sector-specific resources, such as books, podcasts and sources of immediate support.  

The peer-to-peer program is currently free for organisations in the hospitality and tourism sector, thanks to support from the Tasmanian Hospitality Association and the Tasmanian Department of State Growth. Ms Welsh hopes to spark more focus and conversations around mental health in hospitality. She believes it is a 2-way conversation between organisations and their workers.  

“The worker needs to feel comfortable to come forward and say, ‘I’m not feeling okay’. And we all need training and confidence to identify potential changes in states of being or attitudes,” she said.