"A call for fair and decent work in the UK hospitality industry,"

The UK hospitality industry, despite its critical role in the national economy and job creation, has long grappled with significant challenges regarding employee working conditions. Issues such as low wages, precarious contracts, and high turnover rates create an environment that can exploit rather than empower the workforce. Recent studies emphasise that enhancing working conditions is vital for both the well-being of hospitality employees and the industry’s long-term sustainability. This article explores these challenges and the proposed Fair and Decent Work Agenda (FDWA), a strategic approach to creating a fairer, more humane hospitality industry in the UK...

Hospitality in the UK is marked by structural issues that have gone unaddressed for years. Most prominent among these issues are low pay, high job insecurity, and long working hours with minimal benefits...

... employers often leverage zero-hour contracts, creating a situation where employees remain at their mercy regarding hours and pay...

Worker exploitation and substandard working conditions are most prevalent at the lower end of the hospitality sector, particularly in small, independent, and family-owned businesses, as well as in the gig economy...