Sexual harassment has been on everyone's mind recently, so recently in fact, it held up the literature laureate of the Nobel Prize, delaying this prestigious award for the first time since World War II, thus proving that this is an issue worthy of taking very seriously. However, why then is this clearly such an issue in the food service industry and there has been little to no reaction in the press or #MeToo in the recent months?
As discussed in a previous article, sexual harassment contains two definitions. Quid pro quo indicates there are offers between a supervisor and a subordinate, such as telling the victim that if they comply or perform a task for them then they will be compensated by the supervisor or within the company.
Meanwhile, a hostile work environment is a case of sexual harassment wherein the organization’s culture "shifts in place" around the coworkers who are participating in the harassing act against a specific victim., quit pro quo and hostile work environment. And the effects of such behavior on victims can include chronic pain, depression, swelling in the chest, and even heart failure.
Why then is sexual harassment such an issue in food service? Articles from the Harvard Business Review and Vox point to possible answers.
The first reason, is it's due to the work environment.
Too many male bosses, too many female wait staff, and a high turnover for that wait staff leads to male bosses having unreported cases of sexual harassment.
The reasons it may go unreported may be as unique as the individuals are, however, if supervisors are not "keeping the door open" or appear to be closed off to communication and complaints, then staff may feel that their issue may fall on deaf ears. Alternatively, victims may be able to report the horrendous act may not have their complaint officially filed by their supervisors.
Secondly, it's due to the customer atmosphere created by tipping.
It's in the genes of the industry, that relies on tips and patrons, that these same customers will act inappropriately. And the wait staff will feel unable to respond or report it due to wanting to get a better tip. As this video by the New York Times shows, the even slight chance of receiving a higher pay at the end of the encounter is enough to cause victims to shrug it off or excuse it as not a big deal.
The problem with writing this article is that there is a ton of research but seemingly no where to put it. Readers may follow the links provided throughout the article for more background and further research into this issue. The problem is out there, and this article cannot solve it, but hopefully an increased awareness will help ease victims suffering.
What managers can do is show that communication is open between them and their subordinates.
On the other side, employees need to approach their employers, for if that small relationship is already there, then it may make it so much easier to feel like victims can approach their supervisors in a crisis or bad situation. Also, coworkers need to stick together on this situation. Keep that communication open and support each other if it happens. It may not eradicate the issue over night, but this article hopes to show the extensiveness of sexual harassment across all industries.
