Sexual Harassment: A Rampant Problem in Leisure and Hospitality - Research Paper

Introduction

Sexual harassment in workplaces is endemic and often takes many different forms. It can spring from a supervisor, a coworker or a customer, and includes activities that may or may not be sexual. Scores of recent reports in the United States have revealed the extent of sexual harassment in various industries such as tech, academia, politics, and Hollywood. Even so, little heed was given to experiences of workers in the leisure and hospitality industries, where the issue has become pervasive. Indeed, employees in restaurants, bars, hotels, and clubs often encounter a barrage of sexual abuse so frequent it has become entirely normalized. The restaurant industry alone registers more sexual harassment claims than any other industry in the United States. Preliminary research conducted on workers in the restaurant industry found that more than 90% of women and 70% of men had encountered one or more incidents of sexual harassment in their working life (Poulston, 2008). Additionally, testament from some workers in the industry reveals that sexual harassment often happens in plain sight, and many employers have failed to protect their staff from regular abuse. The subject of this paper is to review the literature on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry as mediated through managers, coworkers, and customers.

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Statistically, one out of three people in the United States starts to earn through the restaurant industry, and half of the American workforce will work in the industry at some point in their lives (Ineson, Yap, & Whiting, 2013). This means that the majority of workers in the United States learn acceptable workplace behavior in the restaurant industry. As a matter of fact, a huge number of Americans are likely to have encounter sexual harassment in the early stages of their careers, something that remains a constant reminder throughout their working lives. However, the act has become common and has completely become normalized. According to Ram (2018), more than 15% of sexual harassment claims in the United States between 2005 and 2015 were recorded from the restaurant industry. While many in the industry tend to view the behavior associated with sexual harassment as merely an inconsequential horseplay, the victims often see it as abuse and a violation of their privacy as well as their dignity. These kinds of behaviors can be traumatizing and may have negative consequences not only for the people involved but also for their colleagues, families, and society at large.

Young women and other frontline staff, as Poulston (2008) claims, seemed to be the most vulnerable. Restaurant employees such as waiters and waitresses, as well as cashiers who are often tasked with front line services, are the occupational groups most susceptible to sexual harassment. A survey conducted by Albano and Kleiner (2007) illustrates that close to 40% of all employees in the restaurant sector have experienced some form of sexual intimidation. Surprisingly, out of this number, close to 60% are restaurant employees working in frontline services such as baristas, bartenders, and waiters (Albano & Kleiner, 2007). Likewise, sexual harassment and intimidation against young women, including sexually suggestive language comments appear to be occurring widely in the industry. A study conducted by Matulewicz (2016) indicates that more than 70% of sexual advances in the restaurant sector by either employers or customers are usually towards young women of ages between 19 and 26. Naturally, everyone is prone to sexual harassment regardless of age, physical appearance or gender, however, younger women are often more susceptible generally due to their position in the labor market, and the society as a whole.

Factors Fueling Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry

Many believe that by now it is only a matter of time before victims from lower-paying jobs, particularly in the hospitality industry start to come forward with strong claims and evidence about sexual harassment in their workplaces. However, the majority do not know why the issue is so pervasive in the restaurant world. Predominantly, there are various reasons why the restaurant employees are more vulnerable to sexual harassment. For instance, according to Mathisen, Einarsen, and Mykletun (2008), up to now, there is still a significant power imbalance in the restaurant industry. Indeed, it is no secret that the majority of power holding positions in the United States' restaurant industry are made up of men. In fact, more than 80% of frontline workers in many restaurants in the United States are women, two-thirds of which are relying on tips (Yagil, 2008). The management jobs and the high-paying roles are usually given to men who are viewed as focused and independent, while the quintessential frontline employee in the restaurant industry is female, young and probably working alongside a male supervisor. This indicates that women encounter more sexual intimidations in the restaurant industry, and the variation can be attributed to the power imbalances existing in the industry. Research by Ram, Tribe, and Biran (2016) indicates that more than 70% of restaurant servers in high-end dining establishments in the states are women. Although plenty of women continue to rise through the ranks, the industry still discriminates against them, especially the minority women. These groups of workers are usually recommended for restaurant jobs with lower status and are more likely to secure lesser-paying sections like front service as opposed to higher-paying segments like management. According to Bendick Jr, Rodriguez, and Jayaraman (2010), in the United States, a huge number of high-eateries are dominated by male employees and the majority of the chain restaurants in the country prefer male workers as their location managers.

Unfortunately, this power imbalance in the restaurant industry often builds a workplace environment where sexual harassment is not only glorified but also normalized. This is because majority of these discriminated female employees feel powerless in confronting such issues especially if it comes from a senior colleague or the employer. Some retreat out of fear of losing their own jobs since employers have the final say, especially if the victims of sexual harassment do not report to the relevant authorities. Even more, some restaurants prefer not to fire their famous senior employees over claims from frontline subordinates. Generally, it is much easier to dismiss employees who are experienced and causing trouble for the management.

Similarly, restaurant employees are often more susceptible to sexual harassment compared to other industries due to the culture of customer sovereignty. It is quite surprising that even in the 21st century, many industries, and particularly the leisure and the hospitality industries still encourage the idea that customers are always right. According to Brewster, Lynn, and Cocroft (2014), service workers in a restaurant, especially the frontline group, are subjected to sexual intimidations and mistreatments almost on a daily basis from the customers they serve. Nevertheless, as Brewster et al. (2014) state, many of these young women often desist from reporting such incidences to their superiors because of two main reasons. One, most of their superiors, who are male, tend to ignore their grievances and prefer replacing them instead of tackling the problem head-on with the clients. Secondly, most managers in the restaurant industry are more benevolent to customers bringing in revenue as opposed to their staff. In fact, restaurant managements tend to view sexual harassment done by employees more impactful than those demonstrated by customers (Wang, 2016).

Thirdly, the restaurant industry, unlike many sectors, is a sexualized environment. Traditionally, the leisure and the hospitality industries are image-oriented, and most employees are often encouraged to dress in revealing attires. Women, in particular, are usually subject to these unfair grooming rules in restaurants and often times pressurized to use their looks like part of the service experience (Luoh & Tsaur, 2009). The sad reality is that many customers are attracted to looks, therefore, many restaurants have adopted this culture as a way of maximizing profit. According to Luoh et al. (2009), the same culture that glorifies and rewards appearance at workplaces tend to justify unwarranted sexual behaviors toward employees. Consequently, aside from any irritation they might feel at work, such a culture can make employees relatively insecure and might derail their careers in the long run. Moreover, those who gain mileage in the industry through their looks are viewed as lesser and more deserving of sexual abuse.

Additionally, restaurant employees are more prone to being sexualized because of the fact that the industry is young people bound and has one of the highest turnover rates. Despite the high number of sexual harassment claims in the restaurant industry, its huge turnover rates sometimes impede investigation and contribute largely to the culture of harassment in restaurants. Statistically, the restaurant industry in the United States has a turnover rate of more than 70% annually (Han, Bonn, & Cho, 2016). This, unfortunately, increases the chance of affected employees moving on to new jobs before submitting complaints to relevant authorities. Similarly, many restaurant employees lower down the food chain are young people. Sadly, most of them do not understand what acceptable and unacceptable sexual behaviors at workplace are. As a matter of fact, in some restaurants, their supervisors are only a few years older and have not basic training on how to ensure a safe working environment, leave alone handling sexual misconduct involving subordinate employees.

The Role of Tipping

The use of tipping in paying and evaluating restaurant employees can sometimes expose them to unwarranted sexual misconduct. Since many restaurant employees in the United States rely on tips due to subminimum wages, it opens the door for sexual harassment against employees by customers. According to Lynn (2017), nearly 7 million workers across the United States rely on tips, three-quarter of whom are female employees. In many states, under federal law, these employees can be paid below the $7.25 federal minimum wage leaving them solely depended on tips as a base wage (Lynn, 2017). Unfortunately, this can impact negatively on the employees as they are left at the mercy of the customers. This, in particular, has increased the cases of sexual misconduct in the industry, the most of any. A study conducted by Matulewicz (2016) in different states that have different tipping policies revealed that tipped employees from states that have adopted subminimum wage policy reported a higher rate of sexual harassment compared to workers from states that encourage equal treatment for tipped workers. This is because most employees who earn guaranteed wage and rely less on tips do not have to tolerate sexual misconduct from clients to guarantee remuneration. Also, restaurant employees who rely on tips have a higher chance of quitting their jobs solely because of unwanted sexual behavior in a work environment. Matulewicz (2016) claims that nearly three-quarter of restaurant employees who served as tipped workers tend to endure inappropriate sexual behaviors previously made them feel edgy in their previous workplace. This is due to the culture in the industry that justifies sexual misconduct against employees and normalizes sexual harassment.

Experiences From Women

Although the restaurant industry introduces many women to working life, it exposes them to sexual harassment and intimidations which they tend to carry with them through their work...