Sean Wheeler, Hospitality Action Ambassador and People and Culture Consultant at Sean Wheeler Consulting, has been a passionate advocate for mental health in the hospitality industry for many years. In a recent interview with Hotel Owner, Wheeler shared his journey from a humble beginning in a pub to becoming a key figure in hospitality, and how this initiative has grown in response to the challenges faced by workers in the industry.
A Career Rooted in People
Wheeler’s career in hospitality began when he was just 16 years old. “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t the most academic at school, and so I grabbed every opportunity to not be at school,” Wheeler recalls. An unexpected opportunity to wash glasses in a pub led to much more. “The landlady took a shine to me at the age of 16 and encouraged me to go into the kitchen… and go to college, which I did—catering college—and that’s where I got the bug. That was, I’m not going to lie, over 40 years ago, and I’m still in it now and still love it every day.”
Wheeler’s career has been as diverse as it has been long. From working in restaurants, pubs, and hotels, to eventually shifting into HR roles, his experiences have given him a unique perspective on how to manage and support people. “People work for people,” Wheeler explains. “They’re attracted to a brand, they’re attracted to the location, but it’s the relationships they have with the people that they’re working with.” This understanding of the human element has been the foundation of his work, both in operations and later in HR.
A Shift to HR and the Birth of a Passion
Although his early career focused on operations, Wheeler found his calling in HR somewhat unexpectedly. “My old boss from TGI Fridays had moved to Bass [now Mitchells and Butlers], and they wanted to decentralize HR… He said, ‘Listen, you’re quite good with people, why don’t you give HR a go?’ And that was 30 years ago, and I did.”
“They realized, ‘Oh my goodness, this is something I need to think about for my people a little bit more.’”
“For me, everyone’s a people manager, everyone’s a leader,” Wheeler emphasizes, pointing out how his operations background served him well. “What I’ve learned through operations in terms of how to get the best out of people was tremendous.” He adds that while HR has evolved into a more strategic role, “ultimately, as a leader, you’re the person that actually has to make that [work] happen.”
The Walk for Wellbeing Initiative
The Walk for Wellbeing initiative began in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a response to the growing mental health challenges faced by hospitality workers. Wheeler recalls how it all started: “Craig Prentice, who’s the founder of Walk for Wellbeing, called me up and said, ‘I think we need to do something to help all those employees who have been laid off… and maybe were on zero contracts, weren’t getting furloughed, weren’t getting any support.’” Together, they organized a small walk along London’s Southbank with just 20 people. “We raised something like ten grand or something, but it was the thought of bringing people together.”
Since that modest beginning, Walk for Wellbeing has expanded significantly. “We’re now in nine cities, all on the same day, and we’re aiming to have 1,000 walkers walking that day,” Wheeler says. Cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Liverpool have joined the movement, which culminates on October 13th with participants walking to raise funds for Hospitality Action, a charity dedicated to supporting hospitality workers in need.
Wheeler believes that COVID-19 was a catalyst for the initiative’s growth. “Mental health issues have always existed in the workplace, but I would say it [COVID] heightened it… maybe because the senior people experienced issues themselves. They realized, ‘Oh my goodness, this is something I need to think about for my people a little bit more.’”
Raising Awareness and Supporting Mental Health
At its core, Walk for Wellbeing is about raising awareness of mental health issues in the hospitality industry and providing support where it is most needed. Wheeler points out that many employees in hospitality face significant stressors, from long hours and uncertain schedules to financial difficulties. “It’s not a tick-box exercise,” Wheeler asserts. “It is about having tools, systems, and processes in place… people feel that they can come to you and have that conversation, whether they’ve got issues out in the workplace or at home.”
Wheeler is particularly proud of the inclusivity of the event. “It’s not a challenge; it’s not a competition. Anyone can do it. You can walk with friends, family, or even your dog,” he says. The slogan “Walk It Your Way” emphasizes this flexibility, allowing participants to choose how and where they walk. Some join the hosted walks in major cities, while others participate in their own communities or even walk solo, as Wheeler humorously notes, “I carried on doing it through mowing the lawn, believe it or not.”
“I thought to myself, ‘Do I need another big job, or do I want to do something on my own?’”
The funds raised by Walk for Wellbeing go directly to Hospitality Action, which provides a range of services, including financial assistance for workers in need. “It’s even basic things like people don’t have money to buy school uniforms, or their fridge is broken, and they don’t have the money to buy a new fridge,” Wheeler explains. The charity also offers confidential mental health support through an Employee Assistance Program.
Expanding the Movement
The success of Walk for Wellbeing has encouraged Wheeler and Prentice to think even bigger. “We’d love to expand it to more cities,” Wheeler says. “There’s no reason we couldn’t have walks in every major city in the UK.” As the movement grows, Wheeler hopes it will continue to highlight the importance of mental health and wellbeing in hospitality, while also raising vital funds for those in need.
He also sees the potential for Walk for Wellbeing to serve as a model for other industries facing similar challenges. “There’s definitely more opportunity to grow… if we could harness all that energy that goes into delivering a great service to the customer or the guest to our people, I think we would have a really powerful annual event.”
A Personal Commitment
Wheeler’s commitment to Walk for Wellbeing is personal. Even though he could have chosen to step away from the industry after more than 40 years, he chose instead to stay involved. “I thought to myself, ‘Do I need another big job, or do I want to do something on my own?’” In 2019, he founded Sean Wheeler Consulting, offering HR and people management services to small businesses in hospitality. But it is his work with Walk for Wellbeing that clearly holds a special place in his heart.
As Walk for Wellbeing continues to gain momentum, Wheeler is optimistic about its future. “We’re still growing, and there’s so much more we can do,” he says. He envisions a time when every major city in the UK participates, and when mental health support becomes an integral part of the hospitality industry’s culture. “Hospitality is in every town and village,” he notes.
For now, Wheeler is focused on the upcoming event and the impact it will have. “It’s about raising awareness, raising funds, and bringing people together,” he says. And with each step taken by walkers across the country, Walk for Wellbeing continues to build on its mission: to support the people at the heart of the hospitality industry.
