Gender, sexual harassment, and violence in the hospitality industry

This report shows that gender-based violence, particularly sexual harassment, is a serious and persistent problem in the hospitality sector. Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender, and can include sexual, physical, mental and economic harm. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms (UNHCR 2023). This report draws from a program of empirical research with young hospitality workers to provide evidence of the impacts of gendered harms at work, and provides recommendations regarding required changes in the sector. While sexual harassment is an entrenched problem in many different workplaces and industries, the gendered dynamics of interactive service labour make the hospitality sector a particularly important site to address gender-based violence. This report centers the voices of young women, queer and nonbinary hospitality workers to illustrate how gendered dynamics underpin the problem of gender-based violence in the industry. Women, queer and nonbinary workers are central to maintaining hospitality venues as safe and enjoyable spaces for patrons, yet these workers are also most likely to suffer from harms related to gender-based violence. This report highlights the need to better understand and support the young workers in hospitality who are on the front line responding to, and managing, gender-based violence in their venues. There has been progress in recent years in efforts to address gender-based harms in the sector. For example, since 2021, 60 venues have signed up to a previous union-led “Respect is the Rule” campaign. However, further efforts are needed which address the underlying gendered norms in the industry which can enable discrimination, harassment and violence to flourish. For example, there remains pressure to serve offending customers and for staff to simply ignore gender-based harassment in their workplaces. The findings of this report highlight that gender inequalities underpin not only the attitudes and behaviours leading to violence in these workplaces, but also the manner in which they are frequently responded (Our Watch, 2021). This report provides recommendations drawn from the experiences of young workers in hospitality to suggest changes targeting employers, policy, and resourcing in order to create safe and respectful workplaces for all.