SIGNIFICANT staff shortages and closures of business will result from Brexit, according to a survey of the hospitality industry across the UK.

The survey commissioned by workforce collaboration software company Planday and conducted by YouGov reveals that just over one in 10 workers in UK restaurants, catering, bars and hotels are thinking about leaving the UK as a result of Brexit.

The figure of 11% – equivalent to around 330,000 staff across Britain – is in stark contrast to hospitality managers’ expectations that only around 4% of their workers are considering leaving the UK due to Brexit.

Some 3% of hospitality managers predict that they will be forced to close their businesses as a result of Brexit, which nationally could equate to around a £1.1 billion loss for the economy.

Already some 18% of hospitality managers find recruitment harder now than in April 2017, while 16% of hospitality managers do not think they will be able to fulfil their staffing requirements over the next five years with domestic workers. According to the poll, 30% of workers expressed some form of concern about their job as a result of Brexit.

Topping the list were immigration worries, with 23% – equivalent to around 86,500 people – of staff polled who are born outside of the UK concerned that they would be forced to leave.

The other key staff worries amongst all staff focus on expectations of pay decreases or being made to work longer hours.

About a third of managers who haven’t done so already think they will have to pay higher salaries and will experience labour and skills shortages as a result of Brexit.

Almost half (45%) of hospitality managers want the government to offer some form of assistance to the sector due to Brexit while 30% want specific work permits or visas for hospitality workers post Brexit.

The survey shows that hospitality workers feel unwelcome, with 37% of workers thinking the government doesn’t understand or is representing the needs of non-UK EU workers in the hospitality sector, while 53% of hospitality workers think that Brexit has made the UK a less welcoming place to live and work.

John Coldicutt, Chief Commercial Officer for Planday, commented: “These findings show to us the depth of the potential impact of Brexit on the UK economy, with the hospitality industry being hit especially hard.

“There’s clearly false confidence within the hospitality sector with almost three times as many workers considering leaving as managers expect.

“Now more than ever it’s crucial that managers make sure they have the right infrastructure in place to engage their employees and build genuine loyalty.”