Harassment + Post-Pandemic Norms + Disposable Gloves + Partially Vaccinated Workforce

There is broad agreement that the restaurant industry is rife with sexual harassment.

More than 70% of female restaurant employees have been sexually harassed, one recent survey found, and half experience sexual harassment on a weekly basis, according to another. Harassment complaints come to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from restaurant industry workers more often than from any other sector.

Now a new two-part scientific study looks to confirm why.

Dependence on tipped wages, along with job requirements to appear friendly and pleasant — in other words "service with a smile" — jointly create a culture of sexual harassment, according to a team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame, Penn State University and the Emlyon Business School in France, who say their study is the first to provide an empirical link between tipping and sexual harassment.

David Denney, Principal of Denney Law Group, provides an overview of the restaurant industry as it pertains to operators, examining the trends surrounding take-out, third-party deliveries, ghost kitchens, as well as guest expectations and behaviors, and how these trends may continue in the near future and affect restaurant operations.

These recordings are provided as an exclusive, complimentary service for our Converge patrons. We hope you can gain valuable information for you and your organization through this recorded session from The Virtual Hospitality Law Conference which was held May 4-5, 2021.

Unmasking the Challenges: 7 Options for Managing a Partially Vaccinated Workforce

June 29, 2021 via ConvergeBlog

Now that most states, the CDC, and OSHA have (or may soon) lift mask mandates for vaccinated workers, what is an employer to do about revealing an employee’s vaccination status? Under any relaxed masking guidance applicable to those who are fully vaccinated, customers, visitors, and co-workers are likely to draw their own conclusions about the vaccination status of everyone else in the workplace based upon whether or not they are wearing a mask. This Insight addresses some of the legal and practical considerations for employers dealing with a partially vaccinated workforce and provides seven options for you to consider as you navigate this rapidly evolving area.