New publication: Job quality and worker health in hospitality

IER's Dr Sangwoo Link opens in a new window and Prof Chris WarhurstLink opens in a new window, alongside Prof Angela KnoxLink opens in a new window (University of Sydney) and Dr Sally Wright (University of Sheffield), have published a new article in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.

"Understanding the relationship between job quality and general health in hospitality: Evidence from AustraliaLink opens in a new window" draws on survey data from 427 Australian hospitality workers to examine how six dimensions of job quality relate to workers' self-rated general health, and whether these relationships vary by gender.

The study applies a multidimensional framework integrating both objective and subjective indicators, building on the standard measure now used for official job quality reporting in the UK and recently championed for EU adoption. Terms of Employment and Voice and Representation emerge as the two strongest predictors of general health, closely rivalling one another and both outstripping Pay and Benefits. The prominence of workplace voice as a health determinant is particularly striking given that union representation in Australian hospitality stands at just 1.6 per cent, and challenges the sector's conventional focus on pay and insecurity as the primary drivers of poor worker wellbeing.

The study also reveals a significant gender health gap that persists after controlling for all job quality dimensions. Contrasting patterns within the Intrinsic Characteristics of the Work dimension — male advantage in job autonomy and task complexity, female advantage in social support — suggest that the gap reflects specific, divergent features of how work is experienced rather than overall differences in job quality. The findings point to the need for structural, job-level interventions, for instance, stronger workplace representation, reduced employment insecurity, expanded training and progression, and improved pay, alongside gender-sensitive measures targeting autonomy for female workers and social support for male workers.