Workplace mental health protections from employee perspective : sectoral qualitative study in tourism and hospitality sector in Iceland

Abstract

This thesis examines how employees in Iceland’s tourism and hospitality sector perceive and experience workplace mental health protections, focusing on the interplay between individual coping strategies and the broader structural support promised by the Nordic model. Drawing on the IGLOO framework and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, the study takes a critical realist stance to investigate how policies, managerial practices, and external systems collectively shape employees’ well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty participants who hold or have held various positions within the sector. A reflexive thematic analysis generated two overarching themes: Transient Employment Nature and Systemic Inefficiency. The former highlights high turnover, profit-driven organizational cultures, and the challenges faced by middle managers caught between upper-level demands and frontline struggles. The latter underscores fragmented healthcare services, inconsistent union support, and cultural barriers that lead many employees to rely predominantly on self-reliance and informal peer networks. Although some participants reported pockets of supportive leadership, the absence of formal, consistent protections places workers at greater risk of ill-mental health. These findings suggest that while Iceland’s legislative framework and union density align with Nordic model’s principles, actual implementation of workplace mental health protections is often superficial. To address this gap, there is a need for integrated, multilevel reforms, starting from stronger managerial training and organizational policies to union-driven advocacy and public healthcare improvements aimed at creating a more proactive and equitable environment that protects mental health and reduces turnover.