It is almost at the end of the fall trimester here at Johnson and Wales, and I can’t believe how fast the past three months have been going! Taking online classes is so different and a bit difficult for me. I just try to keep a positive attitude that the more difficult the class is, the more I will retain in the end. Well, let’s at least hope that’s the way it goes!
The past few weeks in my Human Resources class we have been talking about behavior in the workplace and specifically sexual harassment and how to handle it as a potential boss and manager. Each week we are asked to take part in ‘discussions’ online. These are forum-setting discussions for each specific topic and are there to take the place of in class participation points.
We were asked about how we would handle an employee coming up to us as the manager and filing a complaint about another employee about sexual harassment. Everyone shared various stories or their thoughts on the subject; I can say I was honestly amazed about some of the responses.
The class was split, about half of the students were very much for a zero tolerance policy in the work place and the other half, well, was not. One student in particular thought that if the victim did not want to press charges then he would move the victim to another department, almost like a demotion for being harassed! Another student thought that any verbal comments or other behavior that did not go beyond touching or physically hurting someone was okay, “because that’s just what happens in a kitchen”.
I personally think that this is completely unacceptable and it shocks me that today people my own age would believe such things. Just because the food service industry has a history of being sexist and having a high tolerance of harassment does not mean that this is still acceptable today. No one should ever have to feel uncomfortable in their work place, regardless of the reason.
As a woman in the food service industry that has worked with others that thought that making sexual comments or other innapropirate behavior was acceptable, I have always stood up for myself and others. I would not and will not allow any type of harassment to occur or be accepted in my business or any other place that I work, and I encourage you to take the same stance.
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I second that! Well said, Sweet Kell.
Here is a story you can share with your classmates. I recently had to quit a job because of sexual harrassment. I was sexually harrassed by a dishwasher at the Country Club I was cooking at. I went to my boss, and he laughed-doing nothing. The next day I went to the general manager and wrote what had happened. This was in January. There was an investigation and the dishwasher was fired, but not without a HUGE backlash from my Sous Chef and Exec Chef. The Sous Chef tried to hit me with a cart in the hallway, and he and the Exec cut my hours drastically. I lawyered up, but it was difficult to gather the evidence I needed. I am back in school and trying to juggle a job, school and a lawsuit was just too much. I had to quit in April for my own sanity.
You may want to tell your classmates my story and let them know that it is a very serious thing to be the victim and that just because action is taken, doesn’t mean that the victim is “de-victimized”, so to speak.
Moral of the story: keep your hands, feet, and words of questionable nature to yourself..it may be all fun and games right now; but eventually someone will take it too far.
Good luck in your classes!
I completely agree! Sexual harassment, or harassment of any kind is completely unacceptable in the work place. It makes the quality of your work, in this case the food, down as well as brings down your mood. You should never have to dread going to your place of employment - it will make your entire life miserable.
I also agree on zero tolerance, but the world is not black and white. from personal experience i could say that once you go and complain to your boss about sexual harasment even if your the victim work will never be the same. people will talk behind your back and work will still be uncomfortable. unfortuantly thats the way things are.
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