It’s time to disrupt the normalisation of sexual harassment in the workplace

Hospo Voice activist Grace Dowling has a clear message when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace, “Just because it’s everywhere, just because it’s common, just because it’s rife, doesn’t mean it’s fine.”

Dowling joined On the Job with Francis Leach & Sally Rugg to discuss Respect is the Rule – a Hospo Voice led campaign to see hospitality venues adopt a zero-tolerance policy to sexual harassment.  

“The Respect is the Rule campaign is asking employers asking workplaces to pledge zero tolerance to sexual harassment,” explained Dowling.

“It’s not contractually binding, it’s symbolic but it’s a way to get the boss to sit down and sign it and put their name to it.”

Dowling believes the pledges and other anti-harassment messaging displayed in venues are an important part in helping victims of harassment take action.

“If you see something, if you hear something, if you personally experienced something, where do you go, who do you tell?

“It’s all about making that explicit and really making everyone understand exactly what to do, rather than kind of putting the onus on a victim to kind of sort it out themselves,” said Dowling.

As well as providing a clear course of action, Dowling said core to the campaign is keeping venues accountable, “Signing the pledge is one thing, but we’re going to hold you to it, we’re going to be calling you, we’re going to be visiting you.

“Are you actually having these conversations in your workplace? We’re going to be speaking to your workers, are your workers actually feeling safe and protected and empowered?”

“The pledge says do commit to zero tolerance yet, but it also says, are you going to raise this in paid training? With your staff? Are you going to actually put steps in place to make this happen? That kind of explicit, strong course of action that that allows them to, put their money where their mouth is.”

You can read more about the Respect is the Rule campaign on the Hospo Voice website.

Listen to the full interview with Grace Dowling and make your working life better by subscribing to the new podcast On the Job with Francis Leach & Sally Rugg.