Tackling Mental Health Challenges in the Hospitality Industry
A practical call to action for Aruba and other small island economies.
Prepared for hospitality leaders, employers and policymakers
Hospitality companies should allocate defined resources to prevention, early identification, confidential support and recovery. Physical-fitness initiatives should form part of that strategy, while complementing - not replacing - professional mental-health care.
Hospitality is central to Aruba and to many small island economies. Hotels, restaurants, casinos, attractions, transport providers and tour operators depend on employees who must deliver warmth, patience and professionalism every day. Yet the same employees frequently work rotating shifts, evenings, weekends and holidays, often while managing demanding guest interactions, staff shortages and financial pressure. The International Labour Organization identifies variable and long working hours, low wages, limited social protection and occupational-safety weaknesses among the continuing challenges in tourism, hotels and food-and-beverage services.1 Mental health at work is therefore not merely a private matter. It is an operational, ethical and economic concern. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 15 per cent of working-age adults experience a mental disorder at any given time, while depression and anxiety cost the global economy about US$1 trillion annually through lost productivity [2]. In a small labor market, the impact can be particularly visible: one experienced employee leaving because of burnout may be difficult to replace, and understaffing can increase the burden on everyone who remains.
Why Aruba and Small Islands Require a Tailored Approach
Small island communities face structural realities that influence both mental health and access to support. The workforce and professional-care networks are limited; employees and service providers may know one another personally; and concerns about privacy can discourage people from seeking help. WHO reports that mental-health conditions affect an estimated 15.2 per cent of the population in the Caribbean and notes that stigma and shortages of specialized personnel add to the challenge in Small Island Developing State [3]. Aruba also depends heavily on maintaining consistently high-quality visitor experience. This can create a culture in which employees feel they must always appear cheerful, regardless of fatigue, grief, family problems or emotional distress. This requirement to regulate and suppress feelings is often described as emotional labor. When it is combined with insufficient rest, low control over schedules, customer aggression and inadequate managerial support, it can contribute to exhaustion, disengagement and burnout. Because communities are close-knit, confidentiality is especially important. Employees may fear that requesting counseling will become known to colleagues or affect promotion opportunities. Any company initiative must therefore include clear privacy rules, independent service providers where possible, and explicit protection against retaliation or discrimination.
Companies Must Commit Resources, Not Only Good Intentions
Awareness campaigns are useful, but they are insufficient without funding, trained personnel and accountable procedures. Every hospitality company should establish an annual employee-wellbeing budget proportionate to its size. The budget should cover prevention, confidential assistance, manager training, crisis response and physical-fitness initiatives. For smaller businesses, several employers or an industry association could pool resources and negotiate shared services. The company should assign responsibility to a senior leader and include measurable wellbeing indicators in management reporting. These may include sick leave, overtime, staff turnover, employee-survey results, use of support services and participation in wellness activities. The purpose is not to monitor private medical information, but to identify organizational patterns and improve working conditions.
A Practical Workplace Mental-Health Program
1. Improve the design of work
The strongest response begins with working conditions. WHO recommends organizational interventions that directly address psychosocial risks, including excessive workloads, low job control and negative workplace behavior [4]. Hospitality employers should publish schedules as early as reasonably possible, limit repeated double shifts, provide adequate breaks, rotate particularly demanding duties and monitor excessive overtime. Rest days and annual leave should be actively protected rather than treated as evidence of weak commitment. Companies should also adopt a clear policy on abusive guest behavior. The principle that “the guest is always right” must never require an employee to tolerate threats, harassment, discrimination or humiliation. Supervisors should be authorized to intervene, remove employees from unsafe interactions and refuse service where appropriate.
2. Train managers and supervisors
Managers are not expected to diagnose illness, but they should know how to recognize warning signs, start a respectful conversation, respond to distress and refer an employee to professional support. WHO and the ILO specifically recommend manager training as part of a comprehensive approach to mental health at work [5]. Training should address confidentiality, respectful communication, suicidewarning signs, substance-use concerns, return-to-work planning and the difference between ordinary performance management and a health-related crisis.
3. Provide confidential professional support
Larger employers should establish an Employee Assistance Program or contract with independent psychologists, counselors or social workers. Smaller employers can purchase a limited number of confidential sessions per employee or participate in an industry-wide program. Employees should be able to access support without first explaining personal details to their direct supervisor should be available in the languages commonly used in Aruba, including Papiamento, Dutch, English and Spanish.
A written crisis protocol should explain what to do after a serious accident, guest death, robbery, natural disaster, workplace violence or suicide risk. It should identify responsible persons, emergency contacts, referral pathways and follow-up responsibilities. Mental-health assistance must complement, and never delay, urgent medical or emergency intervention.
4. Promote peer support and reduce stigma
Selected employees can be trained as peer supporters or mental-health first-aid contacts. Their role is to listen, recognize risk and guide colleagues toward professional help - not to provide therapy. Regular communication from senior leadership should normalize help-seeking and emphasize that mental-health conditions are treatable. Anonymous wellbeing surveys can help companies identify concerns that employees may be unwilling to raise openly.
Physical Fitness as an Evidence-Based Mental-Health Strategy
Physical activity deserves a formal place in workplace wellbeing programs. WHO states that regular physical activity provides significant mental-health benefits, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves sleep and supports overall wellbeing [6]. An umbrella review covering 97 systematic reviews, 1,039 trials and more than 128,000 participants found that physical-activity interventions produced meaningful improvements in depression, anxiety and psychological distress across a wide range of adult populations [7]. Exercise should nevertheless be presented accurately. It is a preventive and supportive intervention, not a substitute for counseling, medical assessment or psychiatric treatment when these are needed. Participation should be voluntary, inclusive and adapted for age, disability, pregnancy, chronic conditions and different fitness levels. Hospitality employers can support physical activity through subsidized gym memberships, walking groups, supervised strength or aerobic sessions, yoga, stretching before shifts, interdepartmental sports activities and partnerships with local fitness providers. Group and supervised formats may offer additional social benefits and can strengthen teamwork. Programs should be designed so that night-shift and part-time employees can also participate.
Using Aruba’s 2026 Tax Incentive
Aruba has created a timely opportunity for employers to invest in employee wellbeing. Under the updated 2026 fringe-benefit rules, an employer may provide a tax-exempt allowance of up to AWG 125 per employee per month for qualifying health-and-wellness expenses. Published professional summaries identify gym memberships, wellness programs, mindfulness, meditation and yoga among the covered examples [8]. Hospitality companies should incorporate this facility into their compensation and wellbeing policies. A practical program could reimburse documented gym or fitness expenses, pay approved providers directly, or offer employees a menu of qualifying wellness options. Employers should update payroll procedures, define eligible expenses, retain appropriate documentation and obtain current tax advice regarding implementation. The incentive should be treated as a tool to broaden participation rather than as a replacement for adequate staffing, fair supervision or professional mental-health support.
An Aruba Hospitality Wellbeing Partnership
Individual action should be supported by sector-wide cooperation. Hotels, restaurants, tourism associations, labor representatives, healthcare providers, educational institutions and the Government of Aruba could establish a shared hospitality-wellbeing platform. This could offer standardized manager training, confidential referral services, multilingual educational material, pooled counseling arrangements and annual sector surveys. A shared program is especially valuable for small employers that cannot maintain an internal humanresources or wellness department. It can also strengthen confidentiality by allowing employees to contact an external service rather than someone within their own workplace. The WHO approach for small island states emphasizes coordinated, multisector action and sustainable investment in prevention and care [9].
Conclusion
The hospitality industry succeeds by caring for guests, but sustainable service begins with caring for employees. Mental-health problems cannot be solved through motivational slogans or occasional wellness days. Companies must dedicate resources, improve the design of work, train managers, protect confidentiality, provide access to professional help and respond effectively to crises. Evidence supports physical activity as part of this strategy, and Aruba’s tax-exempt allowance of up to AWG 125 per employee per month gives employers a practical reason to act now. Used responsibly, the incentive can help expand access to exercise and wellness programs while strengthening recruitment, retention and organizational culture. The ultimate objective is a hospitality sector in which employees can perform at a high level without sacrificing their health, dignity or long-term wellbeing.
Recommended Employer Action Plan
Footnotes
[1] International Labour Organization, Tourism, hotel and food & beverage services, sector overview, noting variable and long working hours, low wages, limited social protection and occupational-safety challenges in the sector.
[2] World Health Organization, WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work (Geneva: WHO, 2022), reporting that about 15% of working-age adults have a mental disorder at any point and that depression and anxiety cost the global economy about US$1 trillion annually.
[3] World Health Organization, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in Small Island Developing States (2023); see also WHO, Small Islands Agree Bold Plan of Action on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, 15 June 2023.
[4] World Health Organization, WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work (2022), recommending organizational interventions, manager training, worker training, return-to-work measures and support for people with mentalhealth conditions.
[5] World Health Organization and International Labour Organization, Mental Health at Work: Policy Brief (2022).
[6] World Health Organization, Physical Activity: Fact Sheet, updated 26 June 2024.
[7] Ben Singh et al., Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions for Improving Depression, Anxiety and Distress: An Overview of Systematic Reviews, British Journal of Sports Medicine 57, no. 18 (2023): 12031209.
[8] BDO Aruba, Updated Fringe Benefit Regulation 2026; Grant Thornton Aruba, Aruba Tax Changes 2026. Both describe a tax-exempt health-and-wellbeing allowance of up to AWG 125 per employee per month, including gym memberships and specified wellness activities.
[9] World Health Organization, Economic and Commercial Determinants of Health in Small Island Developing States: Noncommunicable Diseases, Mental Health Conditions, Injuries and Violence (Geneva: WHO, 2025).
Additional References
1. International Labour Organization. Tourism, hotel and food & beverage services. ILO sector overview.
2. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work. Geneva: WHO; 2022.
3. World Health Organization. Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health in Small Island Developing States. Geneva: WHO; 2023.
4. World Health Organization. Physical Activity: Fact Sheet. Updated 26 June 2024.
5. Singh, B., et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023;57(18):1203-1209.
6. World Health Organization and International Labour Organization. Mental Health at Work: Policy Brief. Geneva; 2022.
7. BDO Aruba. Updated Fringe Benefit Regulation 2026. 2026.
8. Grant Thornton Aruba. Aruba Tax Changes 2026. 2026.
9. World Health Organization. Economic and Commercial Determinants of Health in Small Island Developing States: Noncommunicable Diseases, Mental Health Conditions, Injuries and Violence. Geneva: WHO; 2025. Note: The tax treatment described reflects publicly available 2026 professional summaries. Employers should confirm eligibility, documentation and payroll treatment with their Aruba tax adviser or Departamento di Impuesto before implementation. 