FAIR WORK COMMENT

Anthony Standing

HEAD OF REGION (NORTH), SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SCOTLAND

In the work we are doing across the tourism sector and beyond, it is evident that fair work is good for business both in terms of the top and bottom line. Employers within the tourism sector are increasingly aware of the importance of the fair work agenda for the sector, in particular as part of the response to the labour market, recruitment and retention challenges the sector faces.

Of course, individual understanding and adoption of fair work principles varies considerably between employers and across the five pillars too. The current level of adoption tends to reflect the ethos of the employer, but overall, there is also consensus that awareness is too low across the sector.

Awareness is lowest in small and micro-businesses, which is a challenge given that they dominate business numbers in the sector in Scotland, and in particular across the Highlands and Islands.

In truth, employers of all sizes can no longer be passive consumers of talent and recruit at will, they need to be active participants in the skills system to entice and encourage young people and others to come work and develop in the sector.

Indeed, the ‘Battle for Talent’ is increasingly focused on the fact that people want as much security and fulfilment from work as possible. They want to mitigate against ‘precarious’ employment in the post pandemic landscape. So it’s about so much more than just salary. People value things like set shift patterns and getting the same access to career development and opportunity at all levels. And this is where implementing fair work principles can help employers to improve their offer both now and, most definitely, in the future.

We’ve been working with senior pupils to unpack the principles of fair work in easy-tounderstand ways. They are learning about fair work in interactive modules, where the language used is adapted to their needs. The result is that participants enjoy exploring what the five fair work pillars mean for them as individuals and this has helped to provide them with a broader sense of their employment rights and responsibilities. As we look ahead, it is undoubtedly through this fair work lens that these young people will make their decisions about future work opportunities and future employers.