Nine in 10 female hospitality workers subject to sexual harassment

As new research shows sexual harassment is rife in bars and restaurants, with many women in fear of being groped, humiliated or assaulted, a group of Melbourne venue owners is determined to tackle the scourge.

Apprentice chefs have been locked in cool rooms and forced to eat hot chillies, raw meat and rotten food in sadistic hazing rituals, a hospitality insider claims.

Some aspiring chefs have even been made to burn or cut themselves as part of the behaviour which includes “dumb and dangerous” dares.

It comes amid allegations the industry is rife with sexual harassment and bullying with training programs touted at some venues found to be fake.

Venue owner Lily Stokes, who has worked in the industry for 15 years, told the Sunday Herald Sun while hazing of young kitchen workers appeared to have reduced in recent years, sexual harassment had not and was common in the industry, including at well-known Melbourne bars and high-end restaurants.

Hospo Voice secretary Ben Redford believes women are fearful of being harassed by customers and managers.

It’s led Ms Stokes, a 31-year-old mum who runs a Brunswick bar and cafe Theodore’s with partner Henry Brook, to join almost 60 Victorian venues in signing a pledge to stamp out sexual harassment in hospitality workplaces.

“Having seen so much of it, and experienced it myself, I want to run the type of place where staff are comfortable and happy to come to work and have proper pay, training and working conditions,” she said.

Hospitality union Hospo Voice — an arm of United Voice — is behind the Respect is the Rule pledge.

Its research shows almost nine out of 10 women working in hospitality have been subjected to sexual harassment.

Victorian secretary Ben Redford said too many women were going to work in fear of being groped, humiliated or sexually assaulted by customers and managers.

“We often hear about employers who see their hardworking staff copping disgusting treatment from customers, but do nothing to protect them because they don’t want to upset a regular,” he said.

University student Natalie Coleman, 25, who has worked in hospitality for several years while completing a microbiology degree, said sexual harassment from managers and owners at some restaurants happened almost daily.

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At one, comments were regularly made about her breasts and crotch, she said.

She said she was also the victim of a workplace sexual assault but never reported it.

Australian Culinary Federation president Steve Barr — whose organisation represents chefs, apprentices and culinary students — said he believed hazing and bullying of apprentice chefs was dying out as the hospitality industry was cleaned up.

Mr Barr, also executive chef at University House, said older chefs with big egos who thought it was “cool and tough to go and bully people” were no longer tolerated.

“Hospitality is a big family and there’s a place out there for everyone,” he said.

“The message is if you’re not comfortable in your workplace, move on, and you will find a comfortable workplace, whether it’s too much pressure, or the food’s too challenging, or the people you work with are idiots.”

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