This still holds true in many respects today. Contemporary research continues to highlight these troubling realities, such as the precariousness of seasonal employment, anti-social working hours, and exploitative employment practices experienced by migrant labour. No wonder it is often viewed as low status with limited career appeal. Hospitality workers also report higher incidence of abuse and harassment than many other workers in private sector roles. Our own research suggests that the emphasis on being ‘hospitable’ and prioritizing customer experience, a key aspect of the business model, maintains the mantra that ‘the customer is always right’ to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business. However, this creates an unequal power dynamic between service providers and customers, bolstering customer superiority and misbehaviour. To take one example, customers may make unwanted sexual advances, while in many contexts, workers are expected to tolerate this as ‘part of the job’.

In its current state, many workplaces in the hospitality sector fall short of the International Labour Organization’s principles of decent work; dignity, fair income, voice for all and safe working conditions. At the University of Strathclyde, our work in the Business School has led us to co-found the Global Hospitality Research Alliance (GHRA)—a collective of scholars committed to advancing knowledge in hospitality employment. Our work aims to address these long-standing challenges, ultimately improving working lives and contributing to fairer, more decent, and dignified work.

See our 2022 review of employment practices in the Scottish hospitality industry here: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/89231/