Majority of Australian Hospitality Workers Face Sexual Harassment Says New National Survey

Results from a national survey on sexual violence in the hospitality sector conducted by union United Voice have been released and they’re pretty dire.

Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reports that the United Voice survey has found that 89 per cent of workers in the hospitality sector have experienced sexual harassment at work.

The findings didn’t improve from there.

According to SMH, 73 per cent of the 300 respondents had faced unwanted sexual advances with 69 per cent experiencing inappropriate touching.

Half of the surveyed workers (48 per cent) were younger than 24.

Kate Jenkins, Human Rights Commission’s sex discrimination commissioner, spoke to SMH to explain that while the stats are pretty horrible, they weren’t unexpected.

“Particularly for young women, the experience of sexual harassment and sexual assault is a lot worse than the community expects and assumes,” she explained.

Distressingly, many of those who were surveyed (48 per cent) did report the incidences to their managers, but said that management did not take the situations seriously. Another 15 per cent were unsure how seriously their workplaces took sexual harassment claims.

If you’ve faced similar experiences and want to find out more information about what you can do, or would like to make a complaint, contact the Human Rights Commission national information service on 1300 656 419 or (02) 9284 9888.

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