Effective Voice

Effective voice underpins and facilitates all other dimensions of fair work. Effective voice requires structures – formal and informal – through which real dialogue – individual and collective – can take place. The Inquiry considered the degree to which workers in hospitality enjoyed effective voice at work and found the following key points:

• Research suggests that effective voice structures are not widely used in hospitality, but there are some examples of improvements in this area since the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Some larger employers have staff networks which act as a voice mechanism.
• Union membership amongst hospitality workers is low, but there are some limited examples of positive industrial relations between employers and unions in hospitality.
• Collective bargaining coverage is the lowest of any sector in the economy.
• Survey work undertaken as part of the Inquiry found that workers’ and employers’ perceptions of voice structures did not always align. Workers were more likely to feel that their views were not considered, while employers often felt that effective voice structures exist and that workers views are sought and acted upon.
• The Inquiry heard evidence that a lack of effective voice often impacts access to basic employment rights in hospitality with workers expressing a need to self-advocate to access basic rights. This has a particularly negative impact on younger workers and migrant workers who lacked the skills and experience to self-advocate.
• Survey work undertaken as part of the Inquiry showed that many employers recognised the centrality of fair work and hearing and acting on workers’ views to delivering good outcomes for their business.
• The Inquiry Group shared an aspiration to improve relations in the industry and create a more collaborative approach between employers, unions and workers.

There is a need to strengthen effective voice mechanisms and to encourage and empower workers to raise issues when they arise. For this to be effective, workers must have faith that they will be treated with respect and they must see their employer respond positively to their views and concerns.

Embedding improvements in effective voice is key to making meaningful progress on fair work in hospitality. It is also clear that effective voice is an area where there is a significant weakness in fair work terms for the hospitality industry - both in terms of individual voice mechanisms and collective approaches. Improving effective voice at a workplace level, and improving industrial relations and joint working at a sectoral level, is key to further embedding fair work in the sector going forward.

Workers must have a voice, and this must be respected and taken seriously if all other dimensions of fair work (security, respect, opportunity and fulfilment) are to improve.