The hard-hit hospitality industry leans on tech solutions to assist employees with mental well-being

The high-pressure hospitality industry was already struggling with employee mental health issues. The hours are long, the pay can be low, you spend a lot of time on your feet, and virtually all of the work involves engaging with customers all the time.

And then the pandemic hit. People who felt stressed out by their jobs now were feeling lucky to have them. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that only 53 percent of the jobs lost in the second quarter of 2020 were recovered by December. In that same month, it found food service and drinking locations employed 2.5 million fewer people than before the pandemic shutdown began.

Even when workers were able to return over the summer, they faced a new wave of safety regulations and belligerent customers that only exacerbated the mental toll. Lower-income workers, such as those who work in the hospitality industry, reported the highest negative mental health impact from pandemic-induced stress.