The burden and impact of COVID-19 on restaurant employment within the Mthatha District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Keywords:
COVID-19, contract, employer, employee, employment relations, government, restaurantAbstract
The study examined the impact of the coronavirus disease on employment in the restaurant industry in the Mthatha District, Eastern Cape Province. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease on employment contracts for restaurant workers. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the roles of employers and the government in mitigating the pandemic's impact on restaurant workers. The study adopted a quantitative approach, and a cross-sectional survey of 75 employees from five restaurants was analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlations, and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that COVID-19 led to a high number of workers' contracts being terminated and perceived non-compliance with employment contracts, while government and employer measures were not sufficient to protect livelihoods. Correlation and regression analyses showed no statistically significant associations between perceived government or employer interventions and the perceived impact of COVID-19 on employees. The study recommends that employers should uphold labour and contract standards, communicate transparently with staff, and support workers in accessing available benefits. The government must strengthen labour enforcement and simplify access to relief schemes to ensure that employees receive support and understand their rights during times of crisis. Furthermore, more effective crisis-response strategies are also needed to protect vulnerable employees in future disruptions between the government and employers.
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