Women in hospitality share sexual harassment stories after Jess Philips MP launches #NotTheJob

Men and women are sharing their experiences of sexual harassment while working in pubs, bars and restaurants following the launch of a new campaign to stop customers intimidating service staff.

Called #NotTheJob, the campaign was launched in Thursday by Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Philips, calling for “zero tolerance of sexual harassment at work.”

It focuses on things like “unwanted sexual comments, jokes or touching” from clients, customers and third parties in service jobs.

Posting the news on Twitter, Philips asked followers to share their experiences of harassment working as service staff across all industries, but it was those working in hospitality, particularly pubs and bars, who were the most vocal.

Many women said they were pressured into wearing more revealing clothing by their employers to attract more business, while others were verbally abused by customers.

When I was 18 & worked in a pub men said awful things to me ALL THE TIME. Examples inc. man in his 60s telling me to give him head & a man following me into the basement saying he wanted a snog. Both times my manager told me it was part of the job & I should flirt back #NotTheJob https://t.co/KJMuo2T370

— Zoë McKendree (@ZoeMcKendree) October 25, 2018

I used to work in a pub. The things male customers said to me aren’t fit to tweet. It’s not ‘part of the job’ and the law needs to change. Please support Jess’s campaign. https://t.co/4i7RhMxfJj

— Tracy King (@tkingdot) October 25, 2018

The worst sexual harassment I ever endured happened when I was 14 and working as a waitress in a local pub. The things said to me in the kitchens horrify me to this day.

— Rachel Thompson🧜‍♀️ (@RVT9) October 25, 2018

“You look like someone who likes to suck dick” – A direct quote of a comment said to me by a fully grown male customer who thought he could brush it off as a joke #NotTheJob. https://t.co/GNdXTr072J

— Jack Deakin (@JackEDeakin) October 25, 2018

The news came on the same day that Lord Haine named Philip Green as the businessman who had hired lawyers to impose an injunction on a Telegraph report accusing the Topshop chief of sexual and racial harassment.

“My inbox is like a never ending cascade of people telling me about a huge variety of really crap, mostly illegal employment practices, forced silence and power games today,” she said.

“There may be one “businessman” every one wants to uncover but if my correspondence is anything to go by we could run a story in every paper every day.”

Kate Nicholls, CEO UKHospitality, told the drinks business the industry body “fully support” the campaign.

“Sexual harassment in the workplace, or anywhere, is totally intolerable,” she said.

“We fully support efforts to stamp it out.”

Do you work in a pub, bar or restaurant, and have you ever felt uncomfortable serving some customers? Get in touch: edith@thedrinksbusiness.com