“The verbal abuse is constant”

In our second installment of this week’s Living Wage series, UniteLive spoke to a London hotel worker who works exhausting night shifts for poverty wages.

Gabriel Garza* has worked as a hotel receptionist for the past 10 years, and he has the gravelly voice of a man who hasn’t slept in at least that long.

“People think that if you work night shifts, you just switch your sleep schedule – sleep during the day and stay awake at night—and everything is fine. But it doesn’t work that way. People aren’t meant to be nocturnal beings. It’s very difficult to get enough sleep during the daytime. I’m always exhausted.”

Garza usually works five days a week, from 10:45am  to 7:15am.

“I used to work from 11pm to 7am, but on the new contract, they cut our break time by 30 minutes,” he says. “They’ve often offered me additional shifts, but I just can’t do it. I have to rest.”

Garza earns above the minimum wage, but he still falls short of the London Living Wage of ÂŁ8.80 an hour. With the price of necessities like food, gas and transport skyrocketing, Garza says he often struggles to get by.

“Especially in London, you have to constantly be adding everything in your head. ‘Will I have enough this month?’ is something I often ask myself.”

Garza tells of the stress and fatigue he battles on the job. As a night receptionist, he must contend with more demanding and often very drunk guests. In the middle of the night, he may get “walk-ins,” or customers who have not made reservations.

“I sometimes have to turn them down if there are no rooms, and they can get very angry. The verbal abuse I face from customers is constant.”

Garza says the stress of his job has bled into his personal life, too.

“Since you have to catch up on sleep on your days off, you don’t really have a social life. I can’t have nights out with friends like normal people. I can’t relax; I’m always on edge.”

Garza says that if he did get paid the Living Wage, he would notice the difference instantly. He cites being able to take a sick day, which he currently doesn’t get paid for, as a perk he’d be able to enjoy if he earned more.

“I force myself to work even when I have a really bad cold. I can’t afford to take a sick day now.”

“It’s very frustrating to hear employers say they can’t afford to pay their workers a decent wage,” Garza says. “I charge customers so I know exactly how much the room rates are. They’re incredibly expensive. And the rooms are always booked. There is no way they can’t afford to pay us more.”

*Name changed to protect identity