Hotel worker putting halibut's tail in sort of herring pot (5,6)

'hotel worker' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'halibut's tail in sort of herring pot' is the wordplay.
'tail' says to take the final letters.
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'sort of' indicates an anagram.
The final letter of 'halibut' is 't'.
'herring'+'pot'='herringpot'
'herringpot' anagrammed gives 'nighporter'.
't' going into 'nighporter' is 'NIGHT-PORTER'.

'putting' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?