Restaurants, Sexual Harassment Go Hand-In-Hand, According To New Report

One of the many reasons often cited for the dearth of women in the upper echelons of restaurant kitchens is the idea that restaurants are havens for sexual harassment. And the current uproar surrounding Herman Cain, over his possible involvement in sexual harassment cases at the National Restaurant Association, has shifted the national spotlight back to the link between restaurants and sexual harassment once again.

MSNBC, prompted by the Cain scandal, took a look at some statistics on the phenomenon -- and uncovered some shocking figures.

According to the MSNBC research 26 of the 75 (37% ) sexual harassment suits reported by the federal government so far this year took place in restaurants. Considering that less than 9% of American workers are employed by restaurants, this is a dramatically outsized percentage. And it's not as if this year is some kind of aberration; the MSNBC piece cited a poll from Louisiana showing that 42% of female restaurant workers had experienced sexual harassment at some point in their careers.

These statistics, of course, just reinforce decades of anecdotal reports of restaurant-based sexual harassment, which have implicated parties from Cracker Barrel to Gordon Ramsay.

It's unclear how -- if at all -- to apply these trends to the case of Cain. They seem, on the one hand, to make it more likely that a case would have arisen, but they may also help explain the cultural background of a case, if it did in fact take place. The women of The View, for their part, seemed to take the latter tack, saying that restaurants' history of harassment more or less mitigates Cain's behavior:

Comments

[Ghostberry]

11:58 AM on 11/07/2011

Maybe im a terrible person but 75 lawsuits nationwide in a year doesnt seem like a terrifying epidemic.

[iridium53]

12:05 PM on 11/07/2011

So you think that lawsuits are the only indicator of issues?
In your vast experience, when employees are wronged, do all of them go to lawsuit?
Or, are they handled in less expensive ways?

By HR? By settlement?

Lawsuits are the last stop.

Consider that more than 95% of criminals are convicted based upon plea bargains.
That number has gone down in some jurisdictions because of three strikes laws.
That's a 19:1 ratio.
And, that's of those that are caught, charged, and have significant evidence - that doesn't relate to how many crimes actually occurred.

Similarly, I just don't know of any reasonable studies to show just how much this is going on. But, lawsuits are not a good indicator of the numbers.

[Ghostberry]

12:35 PM on 11/07/2011

No doubt you are right, but to put it in perspective, in 2002 16 million civil cases were filed in the US.

[brinniewales]

10:19 PM on 11/09/2011

Please correct me if I'm wrong.
There are more than three quarters of a million restaurants in the U.S. About one-third of all 2011 reported federal sexual harassment suits were related to restaurant workers. That was twenty-six cases. What troubles me about this statistic is the low number, not the percentage. According to this article, only seventy-five suits were filed nationwide, regardless of industry. That's stunning. Why weren't there more suits filed? What is happening at the state level? In fifty states, surely there are men and women being sexually harassed on the job, so why aren't the statistics higher? The article states less than 9% of the population works in the food service industry . Based on a population of 311 million people, that's about 28 million people working in food service with only twenty-six reported cases. Is this a deviation from the proper or expected course?

[brinniewales]

09:42 PM on 11/10/2011

There are more than three quarters of a million restaurants in the U.S. About one-third of all 2011 reported federal sexual harassment suits were related to restaurant workers. What troubles me about this statistic is the low number, not the percentage. According to this article, only seventy-five suits were filed nationwide, regardless of industry. That's stunning. Why weren't there more suits filed? In fifty states, surely there are men and women being sexually harassed on the job, so why aren't the statistics higher? The article states less than 9% of all American workers are employed in restaurants. That's equal to approximately 14 million people (based on 150 million workers, per the CIA Fact Book). Proportionately, 75 reported federal lawsuits in a very small percentage out of 14 million workers. Perhaps the suits are being filed at the state level or settled through mediation or arbitration.

[tadpole112202]

03:35 PM on 11/06/2011

Do you have hidden sausage on the menu?

[ogbjones4real]

11:06 AM on 11/04/2011

Could you hold your bun open while I put my hotdog in it!..."kitchen lingo 101."

[ChefAlisia]

11:20 PM on 11/03/2011

There is a lot that people don't know that happens in the food world! Many of these male chefs that get so idolized are the worse! You just have no idea! The EEOC does nothing in these cases and our tax money pays them to entitle and empower many of the men in this industry! smh

[brinniewales]

03:40 AM on 11/09/2011

I do understand that food workers are in a world of their own. It is a difficult and pressure filled environment that can be exceedingly dangerous in many ways.
There are many chefs with big egos who seem to think they are gods of the kitchen, and in many cases, their very existence in the kitchen 'makes' the restaurant; however, many are verbally and emotionally abusive to other employees. Much of the fault falls to the business owner for allowing an environment of showmanship and abuse. The food business can be small or large, depending on a number of factors. If business owners are in control, do not allow the abuse, and it is plainly spelled out in the individual staff contracts, word gets around quickly when people are fired for cause or they leave because they breech their contract by bad behavior.
Exactly how does our tax money pay them? I fully comprehend the various tax payments made by employees and employers but I really don't understand your remark.

[shelagh63]

04:36 PM on 11/09/2011

sales tax

[Restaurant Worker]

04:31 PM on 11/03/2011

The majority of restaurant workers nationwide are actually women, many of whom deal with constant sexual harassment in the industry. One server told us, “A lot of the owners will fire you if you say anything back to them. Or if you don’t flirt back at their flirting to you. They’ll find an easy way to fire you.” Even though the majority of all restaurant workers earn poverty-level wages, waitresses earn eight cents to every dollar that waiters earn, a difference of almost $70 per week . Our data shows that wages are even worse for women of color, who earn $4 than everyone else in the industry . Most importantly, our most recent research reveals that the lower minimum wage for tipped workers, currently $2.13 due to NRA influence in Congress, significantly exacerbates the gender wage equity gap in the restaurant industry. It’s the epitome of the undue influence of discriminatory multinational corporations on Congress! Click here to let your legislator know that $2.13 an hour IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ANYONE!

[AngelaQuattrano]

10:47 PM on 11/06/2011

You were doing great until you got to the "click here" part and forgot to copy the link.

I used to work in restaurants. My first incident of sexual harassment happened long before it was illegal for an owner to demand sexual favors from a potential employee as part of the hiring process.

The fact is that most restaurants are tiny businesses, and owners know the power they have over their female employees. Many do not feel obligated in any way to deal with female employees professionally, and men like this hire managers who are like-minded.

[Restaurant Worker]

04:31 PM on 11/03/2011

HERMAN CAIN, THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT

We’ve heard a lot in the last few days about the allegations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain, current Republic presidential candidate, during his tenure as President of the National Restaurant Association (NRA). A powerful lobbying group in Congress, the NRA is led by the world’s largest multinational restaurant corporations, and has spent millions over the last several years to keep the minimum wage for tipped workers at $2.13 and prevent any efforts to win paid sick days. While Cain was a rising star within the NRA, the lobbying group truck a deal with its friends in Congress to freeze the tipped minimum wage at $2.13 forever. Regardless of whether or not they are true, these allegations against Cain represent the epitome of the culture of the restaurant industry – one in which the overwhelming power of the employer has resulted in severe gender discrimination and sexual harassment for women.

[cadawa]

02:32 PM on 11/03/2011

The point is what; that the Restaurant Association doesn't care about their members enforcing workplace laws or protecting the rights of women?

[wfhbear]

02:23 PM on 11/03/2011

I'm not commenting on the problem that Female wait staff have from both sides. The public, male staff, and bosses. We all know that it absolutely true.

Let's try this on for size:

My Wife and I waited and bussed tables together in many very good and not so good establishments. We also worked private parties as bar tenders. That is how we made enough money to live on in the 60's when we were first married.

I would get $1.50 per hour to wait tables. My wife would get a $1.00. I would get a $1.00 per hour to bus tables and my wife would get .75¢.
Inquiries would all get the same answer, " Doll (or Cutie) you can't lift as much as your husband." Same exact work. I know this because we always worked as a team. I still feel guilty over it.

Now, let me add this. When the hourly rate went to $1.15 that year neither of us got it. At that time "Tip" people could be paid a percentage less on the hourly minimum wage because it would be made up by their tips. I am so happy we are well done with that type of work and mind set.

[AngelaQuattrano]

10:49 PM on 11/06/2011

Indeed, in the 70s when I was looking for a kitchen job, I tried to apply several places where I was refused, because they didn't hire women.

[wfhbear]

01:32 AM on 11/07/2011

I'm sorry you were forced to endure that miserable attitude. I think that the upswing of places like the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales Culinary College accepting women. Things have changed. It is very hard to argue and refuse a female applicant who is waving a degree in Culinary Arts under the interviewer's nose..I hope that you have succeeded during your life despite this frustrating set back.

[jbad]

12:32 PM on 11/03/2011

Nobody expects or deserves demeaning treatment in their jobs especially in doing the grunt work of preparing a meal in a large operation, on the other hand, in the situations were everybody recognizes that in order to get the larger tips you need to be more out there. Although the message is look don't touch, if you're serving alcohol, wellllllll.........

[AngelaQuattrano]

10:50 PM on 11/06/2011

If the waitress chooses to flirt with the customers to get more sales and more tips, why does this make her managers consider entitled to sexual favors?

[jbad]

12:12 AM on 11/07/2011

Nobody is entitled to anything. Managers who think like this and act on it are going to be charged w sexual assualt. With security cameras & cell pho cameras all around the managers have to be idiots to put their jobs on the line.

[truthinperson]

12:31 PM on 11/03/2011

It's only harassment if it is an unwanted advance. Sometimes the same advance could be wanted from one person and not another. Sometimes the same advance is wanted at one time and not another. Better to play it safe than sorry.

[blingbling65943]

12:45 PM on 11/03/2011

I worked as a bartender in College....and I was thinking the same exact thing.

[truthinperson]

12:52 PM on 11/03/2011

Yeah man, I'm a bartender, and can tell you that I've seen X-rated acts performed right on top of the bar. I've also seen managers, in the same bar, fired for sexual harassment. People really need to be perceptive of other people's desires, including a desire to be left alone. It can be a risky biz, but it's not without it's perks.

[jasev01]

12:18 PM on 11/03/2011

this tells you about such allegations and their merit.

[hackerblaster]

12:14 PM on 11/03/2011

It drives me nuts to see this happen in Restaurants. It is hard to deal with something like this as you can't just steamroll through every bar and restaurant in the area and a lot of women are nervous in losing their jobs for trying to address it.

[zenlikejen]

12:11 PM on 11/03/2011

Not surprising at all - I've witnessed it first hand back when I was a hostess and had been subjected to it back when I was still in the reserves (was a cook in a hospital unit). The latter was actually the worst...

[Norm]

12:19 PM on 11/03/2011

Way back, my then husband was in the military, a first lieutenant; his commanding officer ran his hand down my chest at a party. The military is a whole different thing , responsible for incredible boorish and vulgar behavior that inclines many of us to loathe it.

[Artos]

12:38 PM on 11/03/2011

I agree. I spent seven years in it and came away with exactly that impression. I remember having wanted to join the Marines because for years my whole impression of it was this Marine in Dress Blues holding a sword in front of his face doing a salute and thinking that they seemed to represent honor, pride and tradition. Unfortunately while in it I saw a whole lot of things that totally went against those ideals. It seems to me that those who truly believed in such ideals were in the minority and often times would leave the service out of disappointment. It's hard to face the fact that what we see them represent themselves as in commercials is oftentimes far from the truth. Consider the statement, Officer and Gentleman and compare that with Tailhook Convention or the very recent episode of the Captain of that Carrier who played raunchy videos over the ships system for all to see. It seems to me that the military is defending the wrong thing when it says it is about defending the "American Way of Life".

[kvanness]

12:04 PM on 11/03/2011

Come work at (bar and grill X)! We promise a healthy and fun work environment, with lots of other fun and exciting people like yourself, and absolutely no leering, sexual advances, or groping at all! We swear!

[Cooltoad]

12:04 PM on 11/03/2011

Isn't it cute..... right under the article, the 'related videos' feature items like : "How to make sexual chocolate cocktail" and "Which foods are aphrodisiacs" LMAO.