“What else is new?” identifying emerging psychosocial risk factors in hospitality employment

The purpose of this study is to identify new psychosocial risk factors in the assessment of job demands and job resources in hospitality employment and to initiate the development of a psychosocial hospitality risk indicator (PHRI). The argument is underpinned by the findings from an exploratory study of health and safety representatives (HSE) in the hospitality sector.

Using focus-group interviews with 15 HSE representatives from 13 hospitality companies in lodging, housekeeping, and food and beverage segments, this research explored perceived psychosocial risks in different hospitality jobs through the lens of the JD-R (job demands-job resources) model.

This study suggests that factors such as conditioned flexibility, technological requirements, multicultural workforce interactions, lack of support from customers and lack of emotion ventilation represent new risk factors in the psychosocial work environment if not properly managed. A list of items to assess these new psychosocial risks is provided, and a model of different knowledge sources for the further development of the PHRI is suggested.

This is the first paper to identify new psychosocial risks in hospitality employment through the lens of a health and safety work perspective. A key theoretical contribution of this research is the extension of the JD-R model with new variables representing service-specific job demands and resources and the development of items for future risk assessment in hospitality jobs.