Why Restaurants Can Be Sexual Harassment Lawsuits Waiting to Happen

The restaurant industry has a problem it can't afford to ignore.

Sexual harassment claims in food service consistently rank among the highest of any industry in the country. According to the EEOC, accommodation and food service workers file harassment charges more than employees of any other industry. For decades, this has been the predictable result of a workplace culture that treated harassment as part of the landscape.

The work conditions are perfect for this: a mostly young workforce, many of whom have never held a formal job before. There are high-pressure and high-volume shifts where everyone's in each other's space. There are power dynamics and a hierarchy: the chef, the floor manager, the owner who signs the checks. Add alcohol, late nights, a culture that historically prided itself on being "not corporate," and that’s a recipe for liability.

Restaurant owners often take an informal approach to compliance with sexual harassment prevention training. Here’s why…