Sexual harassment has always been a problem in the restaurant industry. Yet, the current healthcare crisis sweeping the world has only made matters worse. In fact, one recent survey found that approximately 70% of restaurant workers have been subjected to sexual harassment, with about half of them saying that this harassment occurs on a weekly basis.
As if that isn’t bad enough, far too often these workers are forced to keep quiet lest they lose their job. Why is that so in the restaurant industry?
- Tipped earners: Many restaurant workers rely on tips to build up their hourly wage. Therefore, they’re disincentivized to report sexual harassment perpetrated upon them by customers. This can leave these workers in a precarious position.
- The customer is always right: Managers at restaurants are tasked with increasing profits, which means improving customer experiences. Therefore, far too often managers and supervisors are hesitant to confront customers who engage in sexual harassment, and they may even penalize workers who report harassing behavior.
- Lack of training and education: Although many restaurants conduct sexual harassment training and education courses, others fail to do so on a regular basis. This means that employees at these businesses may engage in harassing behavior without knowing it or they may not know how to properly address it due to lack of education.
Taking legal action for wrongful termination
The sad reality is that many restaurant workers are unfairly disciplined or even wrongfully terminated for reporting sexual harassment. If you think that this has happened to you, then you may want to consider your legal options. After all, you deserve to have your voice heard.
But these cases aren’t always easy to litigate, which is why it might be wise for you to work closely with an attorney who can help you gather the evidence and craft the arguments that you need to give yourself the best possible chance of success under the circumstances.