Be Inclusive Hospitality

Press Release

The not-for-profit Be Inclusive Hospitality marks the release of the third Inside Hospitality Report with a launch event at The Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane on Monday 19th June at 8:30 am.

The third edition reports that 1 in 3 respondents report personal experiences of discrimination at work, with a higher proportion being at director level.

Be Inclusive Hospitality launches the third Inside Hospitality Report, having collected over 3,000 responses in the annual nationwide survey. Self-selecting anonymous views and experiences have been collected from hospitality people from all backgrounds and career levels with a focus on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion through a race lens.

The 2023 report and survey have been sponsored by the revolutionary Frontline Employee Experience platform, Harri and delivered in partnership with Ulster University and the University of West London.

The only report of its kind produced in the UK hospitality sector seeks to build awareness, whilst acting as a catalyst for change to build a fair and inclusive sector.

This year’s themes are Careers in Hospitality, Leadership & Culture, Lived Experience and Training.

Key findings reveal optimism from all respondents with 83.8% agreeing that the sector offers good career opportunities, however, areas of concern include:

• White respondents are most likely to hold managerial positions, earn the most and occupy full-time employment than any other ethnic group.
• Black respondents are more likely to be on zero-hour contracts, and Asian respondents are most likely to be on part-time contracts.
• 5% of respondents did not know if their employer had undertaken any Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives in the past year.
• Among Black participants who report experiencing discriminatory behaviour at work, 94.7% report experiencing racial bias.
• Of those who have witnessed discrimination at work, both Black and Asian respondents cite racial bias being the reason (62%). This is followed by gender.
• 3% of respondents do not trust or have a low level of trust in the company’s ability to address discrimination in the workplace.
• CEOs/Founders exhibit low levels of attendance to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion workshops at 22.64%, with a high appetite to attend such workshops at 62.26%.
• The industry is perceived as ‘less fair’ in race, age, and disability, and fairer for ‘sexual orientation, religion and gender’.

The report concludes by outlining recommendations that hospitality leaders should take aligned with the report’s findings.

 Lorraine Copes, Founder and CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality says: “Over the last three years, we have seen the number of respondent numbers increase from over 300 in 2020 to over 3,000 today. I believe that this increase positively marks a growth in awareness and support for the work that we do.  What is concerning is that the results surrounding discrimination, education at all levels, and the building of trust have remained stagnant. With this robust data set, my hope is that leaders now take heed and take action.”

Professor Ioannis S. Pantelidis of Ulster University says: “It has been a privilege to work with colleagues from Be Inclusive Hospitality and the University of West London in the preparation of this report which we hope provides insights into such important issues for the hospitality industry. I am grateful for the support of so many participants, well over 3000, which goes to show that there is a thirst to contribute and help bring a positive change towards a more inclusive hospitality industry.”

Jennifer Ravalli, Harri Chief Marketing Officer says: “Harri is proud to represent a client base as diverse as our teams and believes strongly in the Be Inclusive Hospitality initiative. Having helped power this year’s report, it is our hope that the findings continue to spark positive changes across the hospitality sector as we move toward a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive future.”

The second edition of the report, launched in April 2022, captured over 1,000 responses. The 2022 report saw worryingly high levels of workplace racism, hindered career advancement opportunities, and a notable absence of educational workshops accessible in the workplace.

The launch event and breakfast briefing will include the sharing of insights, panel discussions and Q&As with industry leaders.

Be Inclusive Hospitality has delivered initiatives supporting 2,000+ Black and ethnic minority employees and founders with grant funding, scholarships, mentorship, and awards ceremony.  The not-for-profit also operates a membership network which includes education, resources, and peer-to-peer networking for hospitality leaders.

The report will be available to download on Monday 19th June from 8:30 am on the Be Inclusive Hospitality website.

For more information email – [email protected]

About

Be Inclusive Hospitality is a not- for profit social enterprise with a mission to build a thriving community to accelerate race equity within hospitality, food, and drink. 

The mission is delivered through:

▪     Professional Development – mentorship, scholarships, and events

▪     Education & Resources – workshops, education, corporate membership, and consultancy.

▪     Partnerships – consulting with brands keen to advance change through collaboration.

 The mission is underpinned by research & insights, and the social enterprise has collected over 4,000 respondent views and produced 4 industry reports. www.bihospitality.co.uk.