Redundancy is one of the hardest decisions you’ll make as a hospitality business owner.
Not because you don’t understand the process. Not because you don’t know what needs to be done. But because of what it means.
In hospitality especially, this isn’t just a line on a spreadsheet. These are people you’ve worked shoulder-to-shoulder with. People who’ve helped you through busy services, tough seasons, and everything in between. So, it’s no surprise that many business owners hesitate.
Over the years, and through my own research when I wrote my dissertation on redundancies, I’ve seen a pattern.
It’s not a lack of knowledge that causes delay. It’s the questions people don’t want to answer. Let’s talk about them.
1. Are you delaying this because it’s not needed, or because it’s difficult?
Redundancy is uncomfortable. There’s no getting around that. It brings up questions of fairness, loyalty, and responsibility. And when you know your employees personally, it becomes even harder.
But here’s the reality:
Delaying a necessary decision doesn’t remove the problem, it usually makes it bigger.
I often see businesses try to hold on for “just one more month”:
- Hoping trade will improve
- Hoping costs will settle
- Hoping something will change
Sometimes it does. But often, it doesn’t.
And when that happens, the eventual decision becomes more urgent, more pressured, and more difficult for everyone involved.
2. If you don’t act now, what does your business look like in six months?
This is where we shift from emotion to commercial reality.
Hospitality businesses are operating in a challenging environment:
- Rising costs
- Increased tax pressures
- Ongoing recruitment challenges
Margins are tight, and there isn’t always room for delay.
So, it’s important to step back and ask:
What happens if nothing changes?
Because avoiding redundancy now can lead to:
• Greater financial strain
• Reduced investment in the business
• More drastic decisions later
Sometimes, making a smaller, controlled decision now protects the long-term stability of your business.
And that stability matters, for you, and for the employees who remain.
3. Are you protecting your people, or risking everyone’s future by waiting?
This is the hardest question of all. Because most business owners go into hospitality because they care about people.
You build relationships. You create teams. You look after your employees. So the idea of making redundancies can feel like a failure.
But in reality, it’s often the opposite.
Handled properly, redundancy can be:
- A necessary reset
- A way to protect the wider team
- A step towards long-term sustainability
Avoiding it, on the other hand, can create:
- Uncertainty across the business
- Reduced morale
- Risk to more roles in the future
This is where leadership comes in.
It’s about making the decision that protects the business as a whole, even when it’s uncomfortable.
The Thread That Runs Through It All: Communication
If there’s one thing that makes the biggest difference in how redundancies are experienced, it’s this:
Communication.
The businesses that handle this best don’t just focus on the process.
They focus on how they communicate, before, during, and after.
- Before: Being honest about challenges and setting expectations
- During: Clear, consistent, and fair messaging
- After: Rebuilding trust and supporting the team moving forward
Poor communication creates fear, confusion, and disengagement.
Strong communication creates understanding, even in difficult situations.
Final Thought
Redundancy will never be easy. But avoiding the decision doesn’t protect your people, it often puts more at risk.
This is one of those moments where leadership really matters. Being honest. Being clear. And taking action when it’s needed.
If you’re facing this decision right now and need a sounding board, you don’t have to work through it alone.
This is exactly the kind of challenge we support hospitality businesses with every day, practical, commercial, and people-focused.
If we can help you too, please send us a message or give us a call on 020 4534 3456.