Making visible discriminative practices in workplaces and giving voice to workers
Author: Iris Duarte Dores
0 Commentries
Abstract: The obstacles that migrant women confront in the tourism industry are investigated in this report. It examines the challenges faced by migrating women, including labour practices, attitudes and behaviours toward them.
Keywords: female, women, challenges, tourism, industry, work.
Main body:
One of the fastest-growing industries in the world is the tourism industry with a workforce of 330 million (WTTC, 2020). The industry is overly dependent on migrant labour, having 16 percent of tourist staff in Europe and 20 percent in the U.S being foreign (Eurostat, 2022), and primarily women (Adib and Guerrier, 2003). Work in tourism organisations is notorious for an absence of legal adherence and behaviour that goes beyond what is legally permissible (Baum, 2007, 1396), particularly for women and minority groups (Baum, 2015, 204). Reflecting on their employment experiences and perceptions of discriminatory treatment at work, this paper focuses on the challenges migrant women employees face inside the industry (Rydzik and Anitha, 2020, 884).
Migrant women occupy the mass of physically and emotionally demanding and stereotypical tasks based on sex and racialised conceptions of different people as appropriate for certain types of employment (McDowell, 2009). Although qualified migrant women dominate migrant men, terrible tendencies that depreciate female social and cultural capital affect them tremendously (Dumont et al, 2007). Migrant women's capabilities and credentials are disregarded in host countries, therefore women are usually vastly overqualified for their employed jobs and/or labour in sectors outside their field of expertise with lower entrance barriers, such as tourism (Rydzik et al., 2017). Female migrants are frequently assigned low-status, poor-paying professions which are gendered and feminised, such as cleaning and kitchen professions (Hochschild, 1983), (95% of them being housekeepers and 67% working in the kitchen) (People 1st, 2013). Companies assume EU8 migrants are only capable of low-skilled labour, hence they are compensated the poorest and pay the lowest return on their education of practically any migrant group in the UK (Baum et al., 2007, 237). As a result, the majority of EU8 citizens labour in precarious occupations with poor working environments, which has a particularly negative impact on women (Currie, 200).
Female migrants are generally recruited by agencies. Employment through agencies encourages job insecurity because no employment is secure, as firms can reduce their reliance on people while also increasing their ability to fire and hire without paying any charges (Soltani and Wilkinson, 2010, 109). Agency labour is a significant challenge for migrant women since they often feel alienated or exploited, and they are addressed differently than their permanent co-workers since they can be terminated at any time, and they have frequently disallowed work benefits such as health insurance and pension plans (Jason, 2017). With zero-hour contracts, work hours are never guaranteed.
Another challenge migrant women unfortunately face is zero-hour contracts. In 2016, European migrants comprised 8% of zero-hour contract workers in the UK (Clark et al, 2017, 12). A zero-hours contract, in essence, is one where the company does not commit to employee any work hours (Gov.UK, 2022). Zero-hour contracts are common in low-skilled jobs like cleaning, which are mostly performed by migrant women. Female migrant workers endure continual insecurity as work is not assured, making it difficult to arrange child care. Female migrants feel compelled to labour anytime they are required, If they decline hours, there is a risk that they will be fired later (TUC, 2010, 3).
When the economy suffers a downturn, migrants are the quickest to be fired, as was the case throughout Covid-19. Covid-19 harmed migrant workers, notably those in low-skilled jobs (Dempster and Zimmer, 2020). Migrant people make up 78% of the hospitality profession in London, with women representing 70% of those jobs (Jasiewicz, 2017). In 2020, 660,000 jobs in the hospitality industry were eliminated in the UK (McAllister, 2021), the majority being migrant women.
Sexual harassment is the final issue mentioned in the paper. Domestic workers, according to reports, are more vulnerable than other employees to be sexually harassed (McOmber McOmber & Luber, 2022). In 2013, there were 11.5 million migrant domestic workers globally, with 73.4% being women (Kouta, 2021, 1). Guests gripping housekeepers' hands when tipping, males urging women to lock the door whilst tidying, and groping hotel staff were all reported by 78% of women in one study of hospitality and travel staff (McOmber McOmber & Luber, 2022). Sadly, victims are reluctant to report harassment for concern of disbelief or having their jobs compromised due to coming forward. Migrant women confront challenges as both migrants and women, which are covered in detail in this research.
References:
Adib, A. And Guerrier, Y. (2003) The interlocking of gender with nationality, race, ethnicity and class: the narratives of women in hotel work. Gender, work, and organisation, 10, 413-432. Available from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1468-0432.00204 [Accessed 9th June 2022].
Janta, H., Ladkin, A., Brown, L. and Lugosi, P. (2011) Employment experiences of Polish migrant workers in the UK hospitality sector. Tourism Management, 32, 1006-1019. Available from https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0261517710001718?token=2905EDFB2BBCFB759C1B8BCEA497B50A1494DACB8BECA1994E001CAC47BB3A78CE5F9F93C0F21AE8704C6B70D1F7CF59&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20220607173839 [Accessed 9 June 2022].
Rydzik, A. and Anitha, S. (2020) Conceptualising the Agency of Migrant Women Workers: Resilience, Reworking and Resistance. Work, Employment and Society, 34(5) 993-899. Available from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0950017019881939 [Accessed 9 June 2022].
Keywords: female, women, challenges, tourism, industry, work.
Main body:
One of the fastest-growing industries in the world is the tourism industry with a workforce of 330 million (WTTC, 2020). The industry is overly dependent on migrant labour, having 16 percent of tourist staff in Europe and 20 percent in the U.S being foreign (Eurostat, 2022), and primarily women (Adib and Guerrier, 2003). Work in tourism organisations is notorious for an absence of legal adherence and behaviour that goes beyond what is legally permissible (Baum, 2007, 1396), particularly for women and minority groups (Baum, 2015, 204). Reflecting on their employment experiences and perceptions of discriminatory treatment at work, this paper focuses on the challenges migrant women employees face inside the industry (Rydzik and Anitha, 2020, 884).
Migrant women occupy the mass of physically and emotionally demanding and stereotypical tasks based on sex and racialised conceptions of different people as appropriate for certain types of employment (McDowell, 2009). Although qualified migrant women dominate migrant men, terrible tendencies that depreciate female social and cultural capital affect them tremendously (Dumont et al, 2007). Migrant women's capabilities and credentials are disregarded in host countries, therefore women are usually vastly overqualified for their employed jobs and/or labour in sectors outside their field of expertise with lower entrance barriers, such as tourism (Rydzik et al., 2017). Female migrants are frequently assigned low-status, poor-paying professions which are gendered and feminised, such as cleaning and kitchen professions (Hochschild, 1983), (95% of them being housekeepers and 67% working in the kitchen) (People 1st, 2013). Companies assume EU8 migrants are only capable of low-skilled labour, hence they are compensated the poorest and pay the lowest return on their education of practically any migrant group in the UK (Baum et al., 2007, 237). As a result, the majority of EU8 citizens labour in precarious occupations with poor working environments, which has a particularly negative impact on women (Currie, 200).
Female migrants are generally recruited by agencies. Employment through agencies encourages job insecurity because no employment is secure, as firms can reduce their reliance on people while also increasing their ability to fire and hire without paying any charges (Soltani and Wilkinson, 2010, 109). Agency labour is a significant challenge for migrant women since they often feel alienated or exploited, and they are addressed differently than their permanent co-workers since they can be terminated at any time, and they have frequently disallowed work benefits such as health insurance and pension plans (Jason, 2017). With zero-hour contracts, work hours are never guaranteed.
Another challenge migrant women unfortunately face is zero-hour contracts. In 2016, European migrants comprised 8% of zero-hour contract workers in the UK (Clark et al, 2017, 12). A zero-hours contract, in essence, is one where the company does not commit to employee any work hours (Gov.UK, 2022). Zero-hour contracts are common in low-skilled jobs like cleaning, which are mostly performed by migrant women. Female migrant workers endure continual insecurity as work is not assured, making it difficult to arrange child care. Female migrants feel compelled to labour anytime they are required, If they decline hours, there is a risk that they will be fired later (TUC, 2010, 3).
When the economy suffers a downturn, migrants are the quickest to be fired, as was the case throughout Covid-19. Covid-19 harmed migrant workers, notably those in low-skilled jobs (Dempster and Zimmer, 2020). Migrant people make up 78% of the hospitality profession in London, with women representing 70% of those jobs (Jasiewicz, 2017). In 2020, 660,000 jobs in the hospitality industry were eliminated in the UK (McAllister, 2021), the majority being migrant women.
Sexual harassment is the final issue mentioned in the paper. Domestic workers, according to reports, are more vulnerable than other employees to be sexually harassed (McOmber McOmber & Luber, 2022). In 2013, there were 11.5 million migrant domestic workers globally, with 73.4% being women (Kouta, 2021, 1). Guests gripping housekeepers' hands when tipping, males urging women to lock the door whilst tidying, and groping hotel staff were all reported by 78% of women in one study of hospitality and travel staff (McOmber McOmber & Luber, 2022). Sadly, victims are reluctant to report harassment for concern of disbelief or having their jobs compromised due to coming forward. Migrant women confront challenges as both migrants and women, which are covered in detail in this research.
References:
Adib, A. And Guerrier, Y. (2003) The interlocking of gender with nationality, race, ethnicity and class: the narratives of women in hotel work. Gender, work, and organisation, 10, 413-432. Available from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1468-0432.00204 [Accessed 9th June 2022].
Janta, H., Ladkin, A., Brown, L. and Lugosi, P. (2011) Employment experiences of Polish migrant workers in the UK hospitality sector. Tourism Management, 32, 1006-1019. Available from https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0261517710001718?token=2905EDFB2BBCFB759C1B8BCEA497B50A1494DACB8BECA1994E001CAC47BB3A78CE5F9F93C0F21AE8704C6B70D1F7CF59&originRegion=eu-west-1&originCreation=20220607173839 [Accessed 9 June 2022].
Rydzik, A. and Anitha, S. (2020) Conceptualising the Agency of Migrant Women Workers: Resilience, Reworking and Resistance. Work, Employment and Society, 34(5) 993-899. Available from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0950017019881939 [Accessed 9 June 2022].