Thanks to the large population, temperate weather conditions and thriving tourism, the restaurant industry here in Florida has always enjoyed considerable success. As such, many men and women of all ages choose to make their living as servers, cooks, hosts and managers at both chain restaurants and independently owned establishments.
Unfortunately enough, however, a recently released survey by the industry advocacy group Restaurant Opportunities Center United reveals that many of these employees are being subjected to sexual harassment on a regular basis.
After interviewing 668 former and current restaurant employees in 39 states, the survey made some of the shocking findings:
- 66 percent of female employees and over 50 percent of male employees indicated that they had been sexually harassed by managers.
- 80 percent of female employees and 70 percent of male employees indicated that they had been sexually harassed by co-workers.
- 50 percent of female employees and 47 percent of male employees described the sexual harassment as “unwanted” or “scary.”
While the results of this survey are certainly shocking, the unfortunate reality is that sexual harassment remains a very serious issue regardless of the industry, the number of employees on staff or the salaries earned. In fact, this problem persists even though many employers have introduced both policies and training to prevent this kind of behavior from occurring.
The good news to all of this, however, is that employees do have options in those cases where an employer fails to take the necessary remedial measures. For instance, an experienced legal professional can not only help a victimized employee file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but also pursue a civil action seeking to secure justice for all of the embarrassment, intimidation and injustice endured.
Please visit our page on Sexual Harassment to learn more about your rights and your options.