Boardroom Blues

It’s 2023, and ‘ taking a mental health day’ is not on the leave roster in most workplaces yet. When will it be okay to not be okay? This Mental Health Awareness month, three professionals from different walks of life share the highs and lows, the comfort and discomfort, and the need for a bigger discourse in their respective fields

- SAMREEN TUNGEKAR

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY F&B PEERS
BY THOMAS ZACHARIAS

Dear colleagues in the F&B and hospitality industry in India, Nearly 15 years ago, I was a young cook in a celebrated three Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to have had this opportunity. However, my time in the kitchen was marred by constant verbal abuse and bullying from a senior cook. Despite my efforts to cope with the situation, I received no support from others in the kitchen, and the general attitude was that I simply ‘suck it up’ and keep going.

The excitement of working in a reputed kitchen is naturally alluring for many youngsters today, but very few realise that it can also come at a cost. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for nearly two decades, I know this all too well. My own experiences at my first job left me with scars that I carry with me even today.

After all, it pushed me to give up on my dreams of building a career in the US, and return to India. I often wonder why I lacked the courage to take action, but it’s easier said than done – especially at the beginning of your career. Similar environments of abuse and misuse of power persist in many restaurants today. What stops us from changing this? Or rather, what makes us accept this?

The culture of the professional kitchen often prioritises endurance and resilience over emotional well-being. This inevitably creates a toxic environment in which employees are reluctant to speak out, fearing that they will be seen as weak, or unable to handle the pressure.