It's likely more down to social cohesion. Smaller villages all know each other (or at least passingly aware). They also don't have a huge pool of workers to draw upon.

If all your staff agree it's an issue, then finding replacement staff won't be trivial. Also, a large chunk of your customer base likely agrees. Finally, a small pub is unlikely to be run by a big shot CEO. They will have a lot more empathy than the average middle manager.