Job quality and health conditions in the hotel industry: the case of housekeeping workers

ABSTRACT

Following a qualitative research design, the article investigates the world of high-end hotel housekeeping in Milan (Italy). On the one hand, the job quality and its impact on the health of workers are analysed through semi-structured interviews with housekeepers and the oral reporting of trade union officials and union delegates. On the other hand, the changes that occurred in the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic are investigated through semi-structured interviews with key informants. Results show that hotel housekeeping is a low-quality job, which negatively affects the physical and mental health of workers. The pandemic brought to light several negative aspects of the industry, and housekeepers experienced a further deterioration of their working conditions. Measures that could be implemented by hotel groups and cleaning companies to improve the job quality of hotel housekeepers are suggested.

KEYWORDS:

• Hotel housekeepers
• high-end hotels
• job quality
• workers’ health
• Covid-19 pandemic

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The concept of job quality encompasses both objective and subjective dimensions. While the quality of cleaning jobs is objectively poor, subjective experiences may vary according to the characteristics and preferences of each worker (Knox et al., 2015).

2 According to Dorigatti et al. (2024), during a crisis, cooperatives can reduce labour costs by using internal regulations to derogate from collective agreements and reduce employment standards. In some cases, workers are unaware of this process, as the assemblies held to vote for these derogations may be fictitious or non-existent; in other cases, they accept such derogations to avoid losing their jobs.

3 Hotel housekeepers are often victims of sexual harassment by guests (Ram, 2018). The elusive sexuality of the hotel space and the imbalance of power between the parties foster this phenomenon (Guerrier & Adib, 2000).

4 During the handling of the different phases of the pandemic by the Italian government, numerous norms were enacted (for details, see https://www.agenziacoesione.gov.it/covid19-atti-emergenza-epidemiologica/).

5 In addition to direct complaints, guests also influence the level of control and pressure executive housekeepers may exert on housekeepers’ work through online reviews (see for example Gaspani, 2022).

6 The policies implemented by the Italian government included non-repayable financial support for companies in sectors affected by the pandemic (see for example Decree-law No. 137/2020, No. 149/2020, No. 154/2020, No. 157/2020).

7 For details, see for example Jessoula et al. (2021).

8 Decree-law No. 104/2020 introduced the possibility of mutually agreed termination of contracts, entitling workers to unemployment benefits (previously provided only for involuntary job loss).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fabio Gaspani

Fabio Gaspani, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Milan, Italy). His research interests include: working conditions in the service sector; life courses and transitions; methodology of social research.

Sara Recchi

Sara Recchi, Ph.D. in Analysis of Social and Economic Processes, is a Post-doc fellow in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Milan, Italy). Her research interests include: poor labour and migrants’ working conditions; informal economy and inequalities; labour market transformations in the era of digitalisation.