Workplace Health & Wellbeing: Considering the Tourism Workforce.

Abstract

Against a background of increasing tourism employment, this paper explores the health of the tourism workforce. The rationale for this exploration stems from the current international debate regarding work place health and wellbeing (EU 2012). Research shows that promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace is beneficial for employers and employees (Kuhn & Van der Auwera 2013, Black 2008, Department of Work and Pensions 2012). Dame Carol Black in her 2008/11 review of the evidence concluded that the following areas were the qualities of work which cause poor health: • Insecure employment. • Work is monotonous and repetitive. • Workers have little or no autonomy, and task discretion. • There is an imbalance between effort and reward. • Few supportive social networks. • An absence of procedural justice in the work place. Like other industries tourism and hospitality employment can include these characteristics, especially the informal sector where employment can be casual and not contracted. (149 words) Keywords: Tourism, Labour, Work, Health, Employees