The 60-Hour Hero Myth: Why Hospitality is Still Bragging About Burnout

I overheard two General Managers talking recently at an industry meeting. It was mostly in jest, but it got me thinking deeply about what we actually value in hospitality.

They were giving a mate grief, calling them a "part-timer" because they "only" works 42 hours a week.

Never mind that their contracted hours are 48. Never mind that their site is consistently printing some of the best financial results and KPI scores in the entire company. To them, they were slacking because they were not pulling a 60-hour week.

It raises a blunt question for business owners and operators: If your managers are hitting every single KPI, delivering stellar results, and making you money, why do you care if they work every minute of an inflated contract?

The Metrics We Ignore

Why is work-life balance not considered a core KPI within hospitality?

We all know the math. It isn't rocket science:

• Happy at home + rested = motivated at work.

• Motivated at work = higher productivity and lower staff turnover.

Yet, we still treat putting yourself through the absolute ringer as a badge of honour. The other GM in that conversation was practically bragging about clocking 60+ hour weeks.

Maybe it’s just me, but when a manager tells me they’re working 60 hours a week, here is what I actually hear:

1. You aren't a good manager. You haven't built systems that run without you.

2. You don't trust your team, or you haven't trained them. If your site collapses the second you step off the floor, that's a failure of leadership, not dedication.

3. You’re hiding something. Sometimes, people live at work because there’s nothing waiting for them at home—or worse, they’re using it as a smoke screen to hide operational chaos.

The Reality Check

Hospitality is in a tough spot right now. Disposable income is down, input costs are soaring, and margins are razor-thin. Sites are tightening budgets everywhere they can.

But our industry isn't going to fix its staffing and retention crisis if we keep glorifying the "AFD" (All F***g Day shift) and treating basic boundaries like a lack of commitment. Sacrifice is not strategy.

I’m curious—especially for those out there pulling 60 hours a week: Why are you doing it? Is it pride, poor staffing, or a system that forces your hand? Or is that question too close to home?