By Vanessa Cavasinni, Deborah Jackson, Molly Nicholas, Caoimhe Hanrahan-Lawrence and Andy Young
The spotlight has well and truly shone on the hospitality industry over the last week, and it is clear we need to do more to support industry workers.
Allegations of sexual crimes, harassment and assault have shone the light on the hospitality industry this week and they have shown us that more needs to be done to support those working in the industry, especially women.
There is no place in any aspect of modern society for what the Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food have alleged this week.
As a team all of us at The Shout, National Liquor News, Australian Hotelier and Bars and Clubs are united in our condemnation of any abuse or assault.
We would like to acknowledge the women who have had the courage to come forward with the hopes of protecting their peers and working towards a healthier hospitality industry. We’d also like to acknowledge the women in the industry who work tirelessly every day to create a safer, more inclusive environment for all of us.
For too long, women have either felt the need to stay silent about misconduct they’ve experienced, or sought refuge and comfort in quietly sharing their experiences with other women – simply through the lack of any hope of real consequences or action.
This is a wider industry issue, and there is an onus on men to intervene and challenge misogynistic, predatory and abusive behaviour. If you are a witness or bystander, there is no excuse for staying silent. Silence is not acceptable, silence is complicit. This kind of behaviour has no place in society as a whole, let alone the hospitality industry, and we must all work together to stamp it out.
It’s clear the industry needs a cultural reset, from the top down. Starting with management teams there needs to be a clear message that none of this behaviour will be tolerated, that there is no sliding scale of what’s ‘just a bit of fun’, and what’s not acceptable. Workplaces must always be safe spaces for everyone.
With a spotlight now shining on the hospitality industry and the behaviour of some of those who work in it, it is now more important than ever to collaboratively push for an industry where people are able to work without the fear of assault or abuse.
When these allegations were first published on Tuesday, our team made the immediate decision to remove Swillhouse and its venues from the Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA).
We are united in our condemnation of what is alleged to have happened, and one thing we must all take from this week is that those of us who work in or around the hospitality industry need to do more. We need to do more to stop any kind of abuse happening. We need to do more to help those who have suffered abuse. We need to have uncomfortable conversations. We need to do more in terms of calling out the perpetrators of abuse.
We need to do more.
If you’re currently in distress, please head to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for support.
