Hotel Employer’s perceptions of employing Eastern European employees: a case study of Cheshire, UK

Abstract

This article examines and reveals hotel employer’s experiences of employing Eastern European workers in Cheshire in the UK. Cheshire has a vibrant and significant visitor economy, with its main tourist destination Chester receiving over 8 million visitors a year and has over 30% of its income generated from the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors. There is almost full employment in many parts of the region and many employers struggle to fill vacant positions, particularly at the lower skill levels. Many visitor economy employers are now reliant on migrant labour from Eastern Europe. The objectives of this study are to examine the experiences of employers of Eastern European employees and to compare and contrast the contribution of Easter European employees and local employees using six key themes. This article analyses the outcome of in-depth, one-to-one interviews with accommodation employers from Cheshire in the north west of England in the UK. The findings suggest that some employers can put forward a number of clear, positive reasons for employing Eastern European workers. These reasons are mainly driven by the migrant workers having certain abilities which British employees lack. On the other hand however, some employers also suggest that Eastern European workers have certain limitations which could have implications for the quality of service delivery. Key words: Migrant workers, quality, employer perceptions