Too hot to handle? An analysis of chefs’ job quality in Australian restaurants

Abstract

Chefs are lauded in popular culture. Yet doubts regarding the quality of chefs’ jobs have intensified in Australia following recent instances of underpayments in high-profile restaurants. This case study-based research examines the job quality of chefs in mid-level and premium restaurants. The findings allow for the development of empirical and theoretical contributions by revealing the prevalence of objectively ‘bad’ jobs and why they are tolerated subjectively. The article finds that temporal orientations influenced workers’ subjective perceptions of job quality, which represents an original contribution to job quality scholarship.

Using or abusing? Scrutinising employer demand for temporary sponsored skilled migrants in the Australian hospitality industry

“…Furthermore, the very high proportion of temporary sponsored skilled visa holders working in hospitality who train and develop other employees as part of their job partly reflects a widespread hospitality industry practice of utilising on-the-job training (Knox et al, 2015). It also reflects the weakness of industry-wide coordination in Australia and other liberal market economies for addressing longer-term workforce needs (Belardi, 2017) – a finding that may not necessarily be replicated in coordinated market economies (Bamber et al, 2016; Bosch and Charest, 2008). It should be emphasised that these industry effects are specific to hospitality and may not reflect employer motivations for recruiting temporary sponsored skilled migrants in other industries.…”

“…These three occupations are consistently among those most frequently sponsored for temporary skilled visas across all industries in Australia, as discussed below (Department of Immigration and Border Protection, 2017b). While skilled workers in the hospitality industry face lower professional barriers to entry (Belardi, 2017) than skilled workers in sectors such as engineering and medicine (Groutsis, 2003), they are equally eligible for temporary sponsored skilled visas.…”

“…Given the link identified between low pay and recruitment difficulties in the wider literature (e.g. Healy et al, 2015), it is notable that hospitality in Australia (Belardi, 2017), as elsewhere (Vanselow et al, 2010), is characterised by low pay and poor working conditions. Unions in the industry are weak, with only 7% hospitality workers being union members, compared to 13% of all workers (Gahan et al, 2018).…”

“…There is an established formal skills training system for certain hospitality occupations, particularly those characterised as higher-skilled such as chefs. However, there has been declining engagement and confidence among employers with this system, reflecting relatively weak industry coordination over training compared to other countries (Belardi, 2017), particularly coordinated market economies (Bamber et al, 2016; Bosch and Charest, 2008).…”

Suicide among hospitality workers in Australia, 2006–2017

“…Job-related strain has also been shown to contribute to an inequitable depression risk among workers in lower skill level jobs [ 11 ]. Hospitality work is typically characterised by high work intensity (high demand), limited autonomy (low control), long and unsociable working hours, low pay, and poor physical working conditions [ 12 – 14 ], which may lead to adverse health outcomes. Low workplace support has specifically been observed amongst chefs, alongside high rates of violence, aggression, and bullying within kitchen environments [ 15 , 16 ].…”