Leading a Pub Through a Tragic Death in Service on Christmas Day
Reflections of a Reluctant Pub Landlady
Introduction
Death in service of an employee is an unthinkable scenario for most businesses, but one as an HR professional I had to contemplate when writing risk assessments, policies, and business continuity plans. However, planning for a death in service and living through one are two entirely different matters.
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. For many in the hospitality industry, it is also one of the busiest times of the year. As a pub owner, I had always taken pride in ensuring that our customers had fun and memorable experiences during the festive season. However, one Christmas Day stands out in my memory as the most challenging and heart-wrenching day of my career.
It was Christmas Day, and all four of our pubs were bustling with activity. At the Swan, which I was managing that day, we had a full house with lots of customers booked in for their Christmas lunch. To add to the workload, we were expecting three coaches with 180 tourists who had visited Stonehenge and were en route to Bath. It was my first Christmas with my new partner, and I was looking forward to our first Christmas morning together before I headed off to the pub. It would also be my last Christmas in the business. I had decided to leave at the end of the year, leaving the business in the capable hands of my son.
Death in Service on Christmas Day
However, the day began with a shocking and tragic phone call. Ricky, our maintenance man and breakfast chef, a kind-hearted, dear man of the same age as me, had been found dead. He was lying at the bottom of the stairs in the house attached to the pub, which had several B&B rooms plus his on-site room. The discovery was made by our young cleaner, and the news hit us all like a ton of bricks.
Importance of an Amazing Team
Despite the overwhelming grief and shock, we had a job to do. The pub was filling up with guests eagerly awaiting their Christmas lunch, and we couldn’t let them down. I had to muster all my strength and put on a brave face for the sake of my team and our customers. We had over 250 people to feed, and the show had to go on.
Balancing the demands of running a busy pub on Christmas Day with the need to address the tragedy that had just unfolded was an immense challenge. I had to keep my staff motivated and focused, even as we all struggled to process what had happened. The ambulance, police, and coroner arrived, and I had to coordinate with them while ensuring that our guests remained unaware of the situation unfolding behind the scenes.
My team was absolutely amazing. We managed to hold it together and fed our customers with a smile we were not feeling on our faces. We did not want to spoil their Christmas. As soon as the last person left, we gathered at the bar and consoled one another whilst celebrating Ricky’s life.
It was an incredibly tough day, but I was so proud that we managed to pull through and provide our customers with the Christmas experience they had come for.
Ironically, I had often contemplated the possibility of finding a guest had died in one of our bedrooms, given the number of guests passing through all our rooms each year. I had never dreamed it would be a member of my team.
The Following Days
Over the Christmas period, I had to complete the necessary RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) reports, deal with the next of kin, pack up Ricky’s belongings and handle the emotional fallout among the staff. It wasn’t the way I had planned to exit our family business of seven years.
Later, we learned that he had a congenital heart problem and had not fallen down the stairs as we initially feared. It was a small comfort to know that his passing was due to natural causes, but it did little to lessen the sorrow we felt.
This experience taught me a great deal about resilience, leadership, and the value of a supportive team during difficult times. In the face of tragedy, we came together as a team and ensured that our guests had a memorable Christmas, even though it was a day we would never forget for entirely different reasons.
Conclusion – Dealing with a Death in Service
The hospitality industry is often about creating joyful experiences for others, but sometimes, we are faced with situations that test our limits. It is in these moments that the true spirit of hospitality shines through – the unwavering commitment to ensuring that the show must go on, no matter what challenges we face behind the scenes.
Thank you for reading. If you have any similar experiences or thoughts to share, please leave a comment below. Let’s support each other in this demanding yet rewarding industry.
Want to read more blogs about my experiences as a Reluctant Pub Landlady? You can find more here.
Tribute
As I reflect on that challenging Christmas Day, I am reminded of the contributions of Ricky to our business. Ricky was a kind, gentle and helpful member of our team, always ready with a smile and a helping hand. His unexpected passing was a sad loss to all of us, but his memory remains. Ricky, you will always be remembered with fondness.
Photo of Ricky with my son and business partner Dan at the Christmas Market in Salisbury.
