Evaluating fair hospitality work in Scotland : a benchmarking, sector-focused analysis

Purpose: This article discusses fair hospitality work in Scotland, comparing it with selected Nordic, European, and Australasian countries using the same set of fair work indicators. The aim of this paper is to provide an evaluative benchmarking analysis of fair work in the hospitality sector across different national contexts to better understand fair work in the sector. Design/methodology/approach: The article draws on secondary data from national surveys completed under the umbrella of the Global Hospitality Research Alliance (GHRA) by research teams in Scotland, Norway, Greece, New Zealand, and Australia. The article employs the benchmarking methodology developed by the Fairwork project (Fredman et al., 2020; 2025; Heeks et al., 2021) to evaluate fair work across the five country contexts. Findings: The data show that Scotland scores in the lower range on the fair work scoring system as developed in this paper—slightly below Australia but above Greece—while Norway and New Zealand score notably higher. Although some countries perform better on certain fair work indicators, issues related to achieving fair hospitality work overall are evident across all five contexts. Originality/value: This article suggests that achieving fair hospitality work requires a sector-specific approach. In this paper, we highlight issues for the consideration of policymakers and practitioners alike to improve working lives in the hospitality sector. We conclude that a hospitality-specific fair work agenda is needed and call on stakeholders to revisit the recommendations of the Scottish Fair Work Convention’s (2024) hospitality report while acting on their commitments, particularly in view of the forthcoming UK Employment Rights Bill.