Are Managers doing enough to protect their staff against sexual harassment?
Author: Sarah-Jane Buttigieg
3 Commentries
Sexual Harassment of Hotel Employees by Customers
Are Managers doing enough to protect their staff against sexual harassment?
Sarah-Jane Buttigieg, from the University of Lincoln
Student number: 08102907
Keywords: Sexual harassment, inferior, complaints
Abstract
This paper will discuss the varying reason why staff suffer from sexual harassment, what is being done to protect them, and the many definitions.
According to the European Commission, sexual harassment is described as conduct of a sexual nature, and the unwanted physical, and verbal behaviour towards a member of staff (Oliveira et al, 2013.
It can be said that women are the main victims of sexual harassment from customers; Aslan states et al (2012) that as both men and women work within the same occupations, yet women are sexualised in a way that men are not. This may also be a result of customers seeing the staff as being inferior to them, as well as an easy target. Aslan et al (2012: p682) also states that the employees are placed in “an inferior position in order to satisfy the customer’s wishesâ€. Guerrier et al (2000) states “women and only women must maintain an attractive, appealing appearance, smile, make customers feel good and respond to sexual advances and innuendosâ€.
According to Perry et al (2009) the management of sexual harassment can have great implications for the hotel industry. This can include cost implications, a high turnover of staff and legal implications for the company. Stating that a good approach in dealing with sexual harassment is to provide staff with the correct training, which he describes as becoming a legal requirement of employers.
There are many challenges for managers when dealing with complaints, many complaints go unreported as staff members are from poorer backgrounds and are worried about jeopardising their jobs. Managers also tend to turn a blind eye, as they do not want to lose their customers’ loyalty (Oliveira et al, 2013). There have been incidents where staff members have reported sexual harassment from customers, but as a result have lost their jobs for reporting the issue. Often with reasons given for their dismissal being something along the lines of ‘they work too slow’, so their employers are therefore finding and using other excuses to terminate their employment. As of April 2008, managers are liable to protect their staff from sexual harassment from customers, as employees are already protected from sexual harassment from colleagues, and if they fail to do so they can face legal repercussions.
Within the work of Guerrier et al (2000) a case study was presented in which the example of a black female receptionist within a five star hotel experienced racist behaviour from a customer on more than one occasion. Due to this situation a new check-in procedure was put into place, whereby a manager had to be present in reception to greet this particular customer. Although like in many incidents managers failed to deal with the matter and the incident does not get the acknowledgement that is required.
This paper had the intention to conduct primary research; this had the purpose of trying to find out what the hotels had in place to protect their staff. After contacting hotels to enquire as to what their procedures and policies are to protect their staff, the hotels were unwilling to discuss this, which can make these hotels look like they don’t actually know them. Although one hotel claimed that they follow the policies that are set by ACAS, but when researching ACAS, it was found that they are only there to facilitate the hotel in making their policies and procedures and in actual fact do not set the policies themselves, in which they are also there to guide managers in how they can handle and deal with the situations as and when they arise.
In conclusion, it can be said that there is a lot more that managers can do to protect their staff against sexual harassment from customers, as it seems that managers are more worried about keeping their customers happy and loyal than protecting their staff. Many incidents of sexual harassment go unreported as many staff members come from poorer backgrounds, in which customers feel that the staff members are inferior to themselves and they therefore can harass the staff. Sexual harassment in the hotel industry causes hotels to experience a high turnover of staff, as well as managers finding any excuse to dismiss a member of staff that reports any sexual harassment. Due to the hotels being uncooperative the researcher was unable to obtain firsthand information about the policies that are in place. To the researcher this does not give the hotels a positive image, as this makes them look like they are hiding the information, or in actual fact they don’t know the policies that they have in place. Recommendations would include making sure hotels treat staff with respect, therefore taking any complaint made seriously. Staff should not be made to feel as though they have done something wrong in reporting the incident; the welfare of the staff should take priority over the loyalty of the customers to the hotel.
References:
Guerrier, Y. Adib, A (2000) No, we don’t provide that service: The Harassment of hotel employees by customers. Work, Employment & Society. Vol: 14 (4) PP 689-705
Oliveira, I. Ambrosio, V (2013) Sexual Harassment in the hotel housekeeping department. International Journal of Management Cases. Vol: 15 (4) PP 180-192
Aslan, A. Kozak, M (2012) Customer Deviance in Resort Hotels: The Case of Turkey. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. Vol: 21 PP 679-701
Are Managers doing enough to protect their staff against sexual harassment?
Sarah-Jane Buttigieg, from the University of Lincoln
Student number: 08102907
Keywords: Sexual harassment, inferior, complaints
Abstract
This paper will discuss the varying reason why staff suffer from sexual harassment, what is being done to protect them, and the many definitions.
According to the European Commission, sexual harassment is described as conduct of a sexual nature, and the unwanted physical, and verbal behaviour towards a member of staff (Oliveira et al, 2013.
It can be said that women are the main victims of sexual harassment from customers; Aslan states et al (2012) that as both men and women work within the same occupations, yet women are sexualised in a way that men are not. This may also be a result of customers seeing the staff as being inferior to them, as well as an easy target. Aslan et al (2012: p682) also states that the employees are placed in “an inferior position in order to satisfy the customer’s wishesâ€. Guerrier et al (2000) states “women and only women must maintain an attractive, appealing appearance, smile, make customers feel good and respond to sexual advances and innuendosâ€.
According to Perry et al (2009) the management of sexual harassment can have great implications for the hotel industry. This can include cost implications, a high turnover of staff and legal implications for the company. Stating that a good approach in dealing with sexual harassment is to provide staff with the correct training, which he describes as becoming a legal requirement of employers.
There are many challenges for managers when dealing with complaints, many complaints go unreported as staff members are from poorer backgrounds and are worried about jeopardising their jobs. Managers also tend to turn a blind eye, as they do not want to lose their customers’ loyalty (Oliveira et al, 2013). There have been incidents where staff members have reported sexual harassment from customers, but as a result have lost their jobs for reporting the issue. Often with reasons given for their dismissal being something along the lines of ‘they work too slow’, so their employers are therefore finding and using other excuses to terminate their employment. As of April 2008, managers are liable to protect their staff from sexual harassment from customers, as employees are already protected from sexual harassment from colleagues, and if they fail to do so they can face legal repercussions.
Within the work of Guerrier et al (2000) a case study was presented in which the example of a black female receptionist within a five star hotel experienced racist behaviour from a customer on more than one occasion. Due to this situation a new check-in procedure was put into place, whereby a manager had to be present in reception to greet this particular customer. Although like in many incidents managers failed to deal with the matter and the incident does not get the acknowledgement that is required.
This paper had the intention to conduct primary research; this had the purpose of trying to find out what the hotels had in place to protect their staff. After contacting hotels to enquire as to what their procedures and policies are to protect their staff, the hotels were unwilling to discuss this, which can make these hotels look like they don’t actually know them. Although one hotel claimed that they follow the policies that are set by ACAS, but when researching ACAS, it was found that they are only there to facilitate the hotel in making their policies and procedures and in actual fact do not set the policies themselves, in which they are also there to guide managers in how they can handle and deal with the situations as and when they arise.
In conclusion, it can be said that there is a lot more that managers can do to protect their staff against sexual harassment from customers, as it seems that managers are more worried about keeping their customers happy and loyal than protecting their staff. Many incidents of sexual harassment go unreported as many staff members come from poorer backgrounds, in which customers feel that the staff members are inferior to themselves and they therefore can harass the staff. Sexual harassment in the hotel industry causes hotels to experience a high turnover of staff, as well as managers finding any excuse to dismiss a member of staff that reports any sexual harassment. Due to the hotels being uncooperative the researcher was unable to obtain firsthand information about the policies that are in place. To the researcher this does not give the hotels a positive image, as this makes them look like they are hiding the information, or in actual fact they don’t know the policies that they have in place. Recommendations would include making sure hotels treat staff with respect, therefore taking any complaint made seriously. Staff should not be made to feel as though they have done something wrong in reporting the incident; the welfare of the staff should take priority over the loyalty of the customers to the hotel.
References:
Guerrier, Y. Adib, A (2000) No, we don’t provide that service: The Harassment of hotel employees by customers. Work, Employment & Society. Vol: 14 (4) PP 689-705
Oliveira, I. Ambrosio, V (2013) Sexual Harassment in the hotel housekeeping department. International Journal of Management Cases. Vol: 15 (4) PP 180-192
Aslan, A. Kozak, M (2012) Customer Deviance in Resort Hotels: The Case of Turkey. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management. Vol: 21 PP 679-701