Hotel staff in Phuket survey backs five-day week @ 16-07-2012

The new resort very swiftly attracted the cream of the island’s hotel workers, and dismay and anger among hotel owners and managers, who were used to having their staff work a six-day week.
In the past 10 years things have changed hugely, a recently released survey has found. Now, 50 per cent of the island’s top 100 hotels have a five-day work week, and another 23 per cent have arrangements that amount to a 5.5-day week.
The survey, conducted over the course of a year by 10 employees of luxury hotels, some which are among the 27 per cent still on a six-day week, has a very specific agenda: to have 100 per cent of top hotels in Phuket work a five-day week
One of those involved commented, “Those at [six-day] resorts were deeply concerned about the direction of their business and people, and [therefore felt] compelled to delve into this important issue by collecting data.”
The staffer, who for obvious reasons asked not to be named, says that the survey team are convinced that hotels benefit from allowing employees enough time off “to recover from work, reflect upon work, and enjoy a certain quality of life”.
The surveyors argue that there is a large relational gap between overworked servers and the guests at six-day hotels. Service can become grudging or lacklustre. Good employees leave, resulting in a decline in quality.
The survey is currently a work in progress, say the researchers, but they felt their findings should be aired at this point to raise interest in working hours in the hotel industry.
It lists the following hotels and hotel groups as having five-day work weeks: Absolute Group; InterContinental (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn); Lauguna Resorts & Hotels; Marriott; Movenpick; Thanyapura Group; Six Senses; Starwood, Aleenta, Amanpuri, Anantara Villas, Andara, Best Western Karon, Cape Sienna, Dewa, Hilton, Mai Khao Dream, Millennium, Paresa, Patong Resort, Pavilions, Raddison Blu, Sala, Sea Sun Sand, Trisara, Kata Rocks and the new Pullman Arcadia.
Everyone want to work 5 days and rest 2 days a week .