Whether or not this sounds familiar, or whether or not you have received complaints such as these, it is never too late to reassess your current policies and practices. Sexual misconduct or abuse can occur anywhere. However, given the risks inherent in the food and hospitality industries, as well as the spotlight #MeToo has shone on different industries’ policies and practices, food and hospitality employers should pay particular attention.
Sexual harassers operate much the way bullies do, preying on others over whom they think they can assert their power. In my experience, standing up to a bully catches him by surprise, causing the power dynamic to shift—so that I become the one in control of the situation.
As much as I’d like to believe that I’ll always stand up for myself in the future, chances are that another incident might leave me blindsided and unsure of how to respond. Still, I feel more committed than ever that, should I hear or see sexual harassment happening to someone else, I’ll speak up on her behalf—or, at the very least, follow them to a safer space and let her know it wasn’t her fault.
