“The customer is always right,” is a common mantra in the service industry, but it’s one that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There are times when customers of restaurants can do things that are inappropriate to the employees. One of these is sexual harassment.
Many people don’t realize how prevalent sexual harassment is in the service industry. This is partially due to the customer-first approach. The fact that many workers depend on customer tips also plays a role in this because the employees are concerned that speaking up against sexual harassment will take away their livelihood.
Employers must set a defining line
Some service industry establishments are built around a highly sexualized culture. This can include skimpy uniforms and employees being held to specific beauty standards. Even in those cases, the employers must have a clear defining line between what’s acceptable and what’s forbidden.
Employers should always take steps to protect their employees, even if that comes at the expense of losing a customer who’s engaging in sexual harassment. The employees should be empowered to speak up without fear of retaliation if they’re experiencing sexual harassment from any source, including co-workers, supervisors, vendors, customers or anyone else they come into contact with during their shift.
When employers don’t have clearly defined policies that forbid sexual harassment, workers may not be protected. The same is true if an employer won’t take appropriate action when a complaint is made. In those cases, the employees may opt to pursue legal action against the employer.