VERiFAIR, an independent body founded by Justine Murphy, announces its official launch today to introduce the hospitality industry’s first independently verified benchmark for responsible workplace practices.
Created to address a longstanding gap within the sector, VERiFAIR has been developed in response to the absence of a consistently applied, externally verified framework for workplace governance and employment standards in hospitality. While hospitality businesses are increasingly recognised for excellence in food, service and guest experience, there has until now been no unified structure for assessing how employers operate internally and support their teams. The VERiFAIR Standard has been designed to change that.
Founder Justine Murphy has worked in the hospitality industry for over 28 years, beginning her career in restaurant management, working both front of house and as a chef. In 2011, she founded mymuybueno, a leading private chef agency specialising in permanent placements for individuals and families in private residences; and later established Justine Murphy Talent Management, representing Michelin-starred and emerging culinary talent across the UK. Justine has identified a structural gap within the hospitality industry: while creativity and guest experience are prioritised, externally validated employment standards remain inconsistent. VERiFAIR was established to address this
On the launch of VERiFAIR Justine said: “I created VERiFAIR to introduce independent verification into hospitality and to make workplace accountability visible by creating a trusted reference point for employers, employees and the wider industry alike”.
The VERiFAIR Standard is awarded to businesses that successfully complete the verification process by submitting business information, uploading relevant workplace policies, and demonstrating how those policies are implemented and maintained. As part of the process, businesses sign the VERiFAIR Pledge, confirming their commitment to ongoing accountability and continuous adherence to fair workplace standards. Businesses that meet the VERiFAIR standard demonstrate clear leadership, operational integrity, and a measurable commitment to fair treatment across the workforce. The framework focuses on workplace structure, governance, and responsible employment practices, providing greater transparency and accountability for both employers and employees. Restaurants that are already VERiFAIR-verified members include Dorian, Humble Chicken, Teal by Sally Abé, Lyla and Ynyshir among others.
Sally Abé, a member of the Advisory Panel, commented on the launch of VERiFAIR: “For too long, hospitality has celebrated excellence on the plate without asking enough questions about what happens behind the scenes. As our industry evolves, the way we look after people has to evolve too. VERiFAIR is creating greater accountability, transparency, and meaningful standards for hospitality workplaces, building a framework that values people as much as performance. I’m proud to support something that’s helping push our industry towards a healthier and fairer future”.
As part of its wider industry initiative, VERiFAIR will conduct an annual, fully anonymised Hospitality Workplace Survey across the UK. The survey gathers structured insight into the real experiences of people working within hospitality and serves the purpose of establishing a transparent, recurring data set on workplace standards within the hospitality sector to inform the ongoing evolution of the VERiFAIR framework.
The survey will run annually over an eight-week period, with findings published publicly and remaining permanently accessible through the VERiFAIR website. Over time, the data will provide measurable insight into sector-wide progression and workplace standards across the industry.
