OUR VIEW: Hospitality staff need to show restraint | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

OPINION

The hospitality industry's denials of a drinking culture among its workers deserve closer examination.

The Bay of Plenty Times' most-recent monthly list publishing the names of every drink-driver convicted in Tauranga District Court turned up several people working in the hospitality industry, including two bar managers, two chefs and a kitchen hand.

The Hospitality Association of New Zealand has conceded that those people working in the industry were generally "party people" who enjoyed partying themselves.

However, hospitality association head Bruce Robertson was also quick to point out that the industry did not condone drinking and driving either.

Mr Robertson also pointed out the possibility of the offences occurring on the worker's day off, and there being no connection between the offending, and the offender's workplace.

On the face of it, it's hard to understand why people from the hospitality industry, in particular, would take the risky decision to drink and drive.

Bar managers, more than most, should be aware of the impacts of overindulging in alcohol - they see the effects on Friday and Saturday nights, and have to be aware of their role as responsible hosts to ensure those that have already had plenty to drink are not given the chance to become further intoxicated.

Further, through having responsibility for those people drinking at their premises, it's hypocritical in the extreme for bar managers to preach caution around alcohol, only to then break the rules themselves.

Arguably, the penalties for bar managers caught drinking and driving are also greater - loss of job does not necessarily follow for every other person caught driving while over the alcohol limit, however bar managers convicted are almost certain to have their manager's certificate suspended.

Kitchen work, particularly in a popular restaurant, is notoriously busy - while New Zealand restaurants are perhaps not on the same level as the likes of those glamourised through television shows like Hell's Kitchen, working as a chef or kitchen hand is a fast-paced, high-pressured occupation, often in a stiflingly hot environment - it can be tempting for staff to wind down with a drink after the rush is over, but to do so is to take a huge risk.

It needs to be remembered that there are plenty of hospitality workers who follow the rules and are responsible hosts. Nevertheless, when a hospitality worker is convicted for drink driving, it tends to tar the entire industry with the same brush.

As unpalatable as it may be to some, there is a higher moral standard required for those working in the hospitality industry, and those who fail to meet that standard by drinking and driving not only put themselves and others at risk, but do their workmates a great disservice.