Introduction

This Report presents stakeholder views on fair work challenges and opportunities in the hospitality industry in Scotland. The research underpinning the report is linked to a wider investigation of potential fair work policy levers available to the Scottish Government,^[1] which outlined the importance of fair work, presented a model of change as to how fair work is delivered, and a framework for considering how policy interventions might leverage fair work in Scotland.

The research involved contacting over twenty organisations who play a role in the hospitality industry to seek their experiences and views on fair work, on the challenges and opportunities the industry faces in delivering fair work, and on the kind of policy actions that might help further embed fair work in the industry. Fifteen stakeholders (spanning eleven organisations) were able to allocate time to participate in the research. Interviews took place in Autumn 2023 and lasted between 45 and 90 minutes. Participating organisations and individuals spanned central and rural geographies and included, small and medium-sized businesses, sector membership organisations, Industry Leadership Groups, enterprise and regional sector agencies, a trade union and a third sector organisation. Specific employer insight was gained from four employers from hotels, bars and restaurants sub-sectors. Most of the organisations invited to participate were identified through sector publications and news industry reports of their work or experiences of challenges around fair work. A more general perspective of the opportunities and challenges around fair work in hospitality was gained from the participation of seven sector-related support organisations (as detailed above). In addition to the stakeholder interviews, the Fair Work Convention Hospitality Industry Inquiry Group members were given the opportunity to consider how the types of levers identified in our earlier report might be relevant to the hospitality industry. The following analysis combines insights from both the interviews and the consultation with Inquiry Group members.

The report begins with a brief overview of the hospitality industry in Scotland, followed by a discussion of how fair work might be enhanced and the role of policy in driving change towards fair work. Then, stakeholder views on the challenges facing the industry and future industry needs are explored. Thereafter, a range of policy levers are identified and stakeholder views on their likely efficacy are considered.