Young hospitality workers in their own words: working conditions, labouring practices and experiences of hospitality labour

This report explores the working conditions, demands and experiences of hospitality labour from the perspective of workers’ narratives about themselves and their work. The report intervenes in public discussions about the entitlements of the hospitality workforce at a time when wages and working conditions in this sector are being increasingly contested. This report describes workers’ narratives about the conditions in which they work, the skills they bring to their labour, their relationships with their employers and customers in their venue, and their attachments and identifications with the industry. The report is unique in understanding hospitality labour from the perspective of workers, and the value that workers contribute to their venues as they labour. The report is based on research conducted by members of the Newcastle Youth Studies Network at the University of Newcastle, and funded by the Australian Research Council (DP190102103).