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Hospitality & Retail sectors: Are you ready for Summer?

A member of bar staff serving a customer

If somebody asked you to name a fast-paced, always busy sector, the first ones that would come to mind for many would likely be hospitality and retail. With summer on our doorstep, hospitality and retail venues will be busier than ever (particularly with an end to COVID restrictions) and many venues will be starting to or may even already be in the process of taking on extra recruits for the summer months.

With that said, businesses within these industries will be looking to sort their training out immediately, before the start of the lively summer months.

There are a number of benefits to sorting out your training requirements early with iHASCO, including…

  • iHASCO will save on costs and drive efficiency - our solution is an investment into your organisations and staff's future, with our H&S, HR, Compliance, and Soft Skills courses. Our effective management system also drives efficiency and saves on unnecessary costs. iHASCO is proven to save on wasted work hours (see our eLearning savings calculator).
  • We offer tools for growth, not just compliance - with a range of courses to support staff development and a range of additional services, we aim to support you with growth, not just compliance. 
  • New hires in safe hands - get new summer hires up to speed with mandatory and statutory training quickly and cost-effectively.
  • Pricing - We offer flexible pricing packages so you can spread costs over the course of months or a year.

When you sort your training out with iHASCO, not only do you get access to high-quality training at a brilliant price, you’ll also receive access to our easy-to-use Learning Management System and unrivalled customer support in the form of a dedicated Account Manager.

"We have a rounded approach with visible health & safety advisors visiting sites, but iHASCO allows us to reach more people, as well as track progress. It’s great that refresher training happens automatically, which is efficient and timely. The online portal provides a great user experience."

- Hayley Moosa, Head of HR at Prezzo

What training do hospitality and retail staff require?

There are a number of requirements that hospitality and retail organisations must meet when it comes to training their staff.

The following topics are some of the most important areas to train both hospitality and retail staff:

  • Food Safety & Hygiene - According to the Food Standards Agency, over 2 million foodborne illnesses occur every year in the UK alone. If those working in hospitality or retail do not implement proper food hygiene practices, they are putting customers at risk of contracting a foodborne illness.
  • Bribery & Corruption - Working in the hospitality or retail sectors means that a number of your staff likely have to deal with external suppliers, clients, and other partners on a regular basis and could fall victim to bribery or corruption.
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing - Research suggests that one in five hospitality workers suffer from work-related severe mental health issues. By providing adequate training, employers can equip their staff with tools they need to understand and improve their own wellbeing, as well as their colleagues.
  • Working in Licensed Premises - It's clear why the sale and supply of alcohol must be controlled and why alcohol licensing laws are necessary. Training can help staff to work in compliance with these laws and minimise the likelihood of incidents occurring in your licensed premises.
  • Customer Service - Customer Service Training is essential for any person working in a customer-centric role, who frequently deals with customers. It can provide the knowledge to improve their service skills, therefore providing the best experience for your customer.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the regulations most relevant to UK businesses working in the hospitality and retail sectors and what training courses can support them in working towards compliance…

The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) 1974

This piece of legislation affects the management of Health & Safety in every kind of workplace across all industries.

Courses which can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with this piece of legislation include:

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992

Under these regulations, employers have a duty to assess the workstations of staff who regularly use display screen equipment (DSE) and provide suitable training.

DSE Training can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with this piece of legislation.

The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006

These regulations set out the basic hygiene requirements for all food businesses, from premises and equipment to staff training and hygiene.

A selection of Food Safety & Hygiene Training Courses can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with these regulations

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981

These regulations require employers to provide first aid equipment, an adequate number of first aiders, and a first aid appointed person when first aiders aren’t available.

Courses which can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with this piece of legislation include:

The Licensing Act 2003

Organisations which sell alcohol have a responsibility to uphold the four aims set out by this Act. The four aims are:

  • To prevent crime and disorder
  • To promote public safety
  • To prevent public nuisance
  • To protect children from harm

Working in Licensed Premises Training can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with this piece of legislation.

The Fraud Act 2006

This Act identifies fraud as one offence that can be committed in three separate ways – fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information and fraud by abuse of position.

Courses which can help hospitality and retail organisations work towards compliance with this piece of legislation include:

Equality Act 2010

This Act provides a single, consolidated source of discrimination law that covers all the types of discrimination that are deemed unlawful.

Courses which can help hospitality and retail work towards compliance with this piece of legislation include:

How iHASCO can help

Here at iHASCO, we’ve been providing both the hospitality and retail sectors with high-quality eLearning for over a decade, so we know a thing or two about training for these industries! Don’t believe us? Check out our client stories from Prezzo and Abbeycroft Leisure.

Our wide-range of online courses provide the perfect, cost-effective training solution for all organisations working in the hospitality and retail sectors.

Many of our courses for the education sector are approved by the likes of IOSH and RoSPA, amongst a number of other accreditation bodies, so you can be guaranteed that they are of the highest quality.

Why not get started with a free, no-obligation trial today? Alternatively, you can request a bespoke quote for your organisation and a member of our team will get in touch to discuss your training requirements.

Online Training for the Hospitality and Retail Sectors