Campaign to address ‘toxic behaviour’ in hospitality
By Nicola Carruthers
February 7, 2019
Freelance food journalist Victoria Stewart and restaurant public relations (PR) officer Hannah Norris are set to launch a not-for-profit platform that aims to tackle harassment in the hospitality industry.
The initiative, called Hospitality Speaks, will launch at the end of March 2019 to address “toxic behaviour” in the hospitality industry.
Stewart, the former Evening Standard food editor, and Norris, founder of Nourish PR, have launched the campaign to create a “safe online space” for hospitality workers to share their stories of bullying, harassment and discrimination, anonymously.
“The aim is to get conversation started and allow people to talk about their stories and alleviate stress,” Norris told The Spirits Business.
The platform’s website claims that “neither the hospitality industry nor the public are aware of the extent of toxic behaviour” and that “not enough action is being taken to prevent it or make it easy to report”.
Stewart wrote on the website: “Over a year ago, I became aware of specific examples of toxic behaviour in a number of establishments which prevented me from feeling I could continue covering them.
“Following a number of interviews, I discovered that the problems were not only widespread, but that people didn’t feel able to talk about them.”
The campaign also aims to raise awareness of “pioneering employers across the industry who have found innovative solutions for creating positive culture and retaining staff” and to give the public “an informed choice on where to eat and drink”.
Hospitality Speaks will seek to create a “hospitality industry standard for behaviour and ethics” and look to “shake up the media narrative on both sides”.
In addition, Hospitality Speaks will hold a series of events and discussions, and publish a page of contacts for professional help and legal counsel.
The campaign comes after the tsunami of sexual misconduct allegations in various industries and the advance of the #MeToo campaign that highlighted the ubiquity of sexual abuse.
Bartenders and bar owners have ramped up their efforts to make their venues safer and more inclusive. Safe Bars, a Washington DC-based firm that launched in 2016, holds two-hour bystander-intervention training for bar staff with the goal of creating a safer and more welcoming nightlife culture.