Precarization Among Hotel Employees: Examples from City and Coastal Hotels

Purpose – Precarization is driven by inequality and insecurity, especially in the tourism sector, through atypical, non-standard, marginal, and unstable employment practices such as parttime positions, fixed-term contracts, short-term employment, and multiple jobs. This study aims to analyze the precarization level of hotel employees, comparing those in city hotels with those in coastal hotels. Methodology/Design/Approach – For this purpose, this study used a qualitative research approach. Face-to-face interviews with hotel employees were conducted, accompanied by semi-structured questions. The data were subjected to content analysis, and the precarization level of hotel employees was compared in the context of city and coastal hotels. Findings—Employee precarization levels are defined under two main themes, working conditions and effects of precarization, and nine sub-themes in total. The most frequently mentioned problems are union membership and fundamental employment rights. One of the key findings asserts that coastal hotel employees’ precarization level is higher than that of city hotel employees. Originality of the research – Although the literature has addressed precarious working conditions in the tourism sector, this study, as one of the earliest studies on the topic, differs in that it emphasizes the differences between coastal and city hotels. The study highlights the importance of legal regulations and audit and offers new theoretical, managerial, and policy implications regarding the structural problems in the sector.