Protecting Your Hospitality Team This Christmas: A Call to Action
When I worked on the floor in hospitality, the Christmas season came with an unfortunate certainty: an increase in inappropriate behavior from drunken guests. This often meant preparing yourself for unwelcome advances—pats on the bum, indecent proposals, invasions of personal space, and other forms of leering.
I hope that women working in hospitality today face fewer incidents of such harassment. Yet, the data tells us otherwise.
In Australia, two in five women experience workplace sexual harassment, with hospitality ranking as one of the most at-risk industries. According to the most recent Australian Human Rights Commission’s (AHRC) National Survey on Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, 41% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in the last five years.
The hospitality sector faces heightened risks due to factors like late-night shifts and alcohol and drug-fueled environments.
As the festive season approaches, we must recognise that it is you, owners and operators, who need to batten down the hatches, put your armour on and be prepared to hold steady against the force of drunken xmas partygoers. It’s crucial for hospitality owners and operators to recognise their responsibility. While menus, party sizes, and closing times are priorities, so too must be the health, safety, and well-being of your team.
A Legal and Moral Obligation
Protecting your staff is not just a moral imperative—it’s a legal requirement. Under Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act 1984, employers must take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This means creating a safe environment for your team and ensuring systems are in place to address any issues that arise.
This holiday season, let’s commit to creating workplaces where the only memories are of the joy of service—not the harm of harassment.
Five Steps to Safeguard Your Team
Here are five actionable steps you can take to protect your team during the festive season:
Understand your obligations under the law to prevent harassment in the workplace.
Set clear standards for acceptable behavior and communicate zero tolerance for harassment.
Inform your team, managers, and customers about these standards.
Train your staff and managers to handle difficult situations effectively.
Support your policies—if your managers make decisions, such as cutting off alcohol to unruly guests, trust and back them up.
Support Is Available
If you need help implementing these measures, reach out for guidance. There are incredible leaders in the industry making strides toward safer hospitality environments. Two people I highly recommend are:
Jamie Bucirde at Notsohospitable
Rebecca Weatherill at Workplace Wellbeing SA
Let’s Make a Change
This season, let’s lead with integrity and ensure the safety and well-being of our teams. By proactively addressing these challenges, we can foster environments where everyone—staff and guests alike—can celebrate safely and respectfully.
#HospitalityLeadership #TeamSafety #RespectAtWork #LegalObligation #ChristmasSeason
