ILPC 2027

The hospitality industry is heavily reliant on zero hour contracts, which are often viewed as having negative consequences for employees but financial benefits for employers. Zero hour contracts have long been seen as a necessary evil for hotels to respond to the flexibility of volatile markets and seasonal shifts in demand. Indeed, the use of zero hours contracts continues to rise year on year in the sector. However, in what represents a major shift in policy, recent evidence suggests that consumer demand for high quality experience, rather than merely service, requires the development of a distinctive brand that stands out in the market. As a result, recruiting for frontline service employees focuses on attracting candidates who display personal qualities that match the brand. Nevertheless, the hospitality sector experiences challenges in recruiting and retaining ‘ideal employees’ who will support the delivery of memorable customer experience, i.e. deference, enthusiasm, warmth, etc.  Recent case study research of 7 hotels in Scotland reveals that high end hotels are now changing their approach and increasingly offering open-ended contracts. Utilising Chris Smith’s concept of double indeterminacy of labour as an analytical frame, it is suggested in this paper that the hospitality sector’s requirement to secure the delivery of high quality customer experience drives a revised approach to employment practice.  It is clear that the move away from zero hour contracts has little to do with the debate concerning their impact on employee wellbeing rather than the investment employees are prepared to make into the company and its customers.