Hospitality happiness is good business!

By Sanday Chongo Kabange

The hospitality industry is the third-largest employer of Zambians after mining and agriculture. Although exact figures are hard to come by, it is estimated that the largest number of employees in the hospitality industry are adolescents aged between 16 and 35 years.  Different hotels, lodges and guest houses offer different remunerations with different working conditions. Depending on the size of the establishment, monthly salaries can range between K500, 000 and K1,800, 000 per month for a Front Office Worker or Hotel Receptionist. 

Significance of Front Office Workers

Since a Front Office Worker is the first person anyone comes into contact with when they visit or check-in into a hotel, Human Resource experts say the role of a Hotel Receptionist is very important because it gives an overall impression of the establishment. Front Office Workers give an insight into the establishment by the way they conduct business with their clients, says Chanda Nkamba, a Human Resource Development Officer at a lodge in Lusaka, Zambia.

Qualification Requirements

The basic requirement for a Front Office Worker in a hotel is a diploma in either Front Desk Management, Hotel and Hospitality, Clerical or Secretarial Studies, obtained from any of the recognised training institutions scattered around the country. A diploma is a minimum requirement for any entrant into the hotel business. But large and well-established hotels could also require a minimum of three years’ experience in a similar position. Some hotels require their candidates to have knowledge of three foreign languages used within the United Nations systems (English, French, Portuguese, Arabic or Spanish). 

Working Conditions 

Different hotels offer different working conditions of service. While some offer in-house training for new recruits, others may not offer any training.  Depending on the operations of the hotel, Hotel Receptionists work in hours. This could be either a full eight hours per day or it could be sub-divided into smaller hours which add up to 45 hours a week.

According to the Minimum Wages and Conditions of Employment Act CAP 276 (as amended in May 2006), a worker is supposed to work for only eight hours per day (normally from 8am to 5pm with one hour break in between). The same Act provides for three months mandatory maternity leave for pregnant women. However, depending on the employer, this can be reduced to as near as three weeks.  The Act also provides for special attention to people with disabilities. It is mandatory for employers to offer routine medical check-ups for its staff. 

 Salaries and Wages

There is no fixed or standard rate of remuneration for Front Office Hotel Workers. The salaries are determined by the employer. However, the Minimum Wage and Employment Act of 1997, allows any person doing secretarial or clerical work to a monthly minimum wage of K500, 000.  Mavis Mumba, a former Front Office Worker says in some cases employees can get an increased salary when offered a special bonus or service charge.

“My initial salary is K850, 000 and sometimes I can even get K1,000, 000 when we are given bonus and service charges. And that’s not forgetting the little tips from generous customers,” says Mavis, who holds a Diploma in Purchasing and Supply.  

Currently, the Minimum Wage in Zambia is K268,000 per month. 

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The hotel and hospitality industry has its own pros and cons. Issues of wages and marriage are pressing matters that require one to take a close look and understand why some employees are not happy with their salaries, and why waitresses sometimes battle in relationships. Hopefully you could stand a chance of winning a minimum wage or holiday by filling in our Salary Survey.