How Employees in Customer Facing Roles Struggle with Sexual Harassment

Employees working in customer facing roles, like the retail industry or the hospitality industry, have to interact with those outside their workplace as well. This creates an additional level of complexity when it comes to addressing sexual misconduct for them. Moreover, it also impacts redressal as well as preventive measures for employees within workplaces. Women are likely to be promoted in the field of sales which is driven by negotiation, but less likely to grow in the fields of development and investment, which is also driven by the skills of negotiation. This creates a disconnect and depicts a pharisaic behaviour of the industry.

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For organisations this has a negative impact on their finances, public appearance, workplace culture as well as employee output. Organisations are unable to address and cope with situations due to the lack of a processes. This not only impacts the employee but also negatively impacts how their turnover is. Trauma in workplace impacts how employees perform Moreover, a lack of diversity also impacts the heterogeneity that the organisation faces, which in turn leads to stagnancy for the organisation.

Why are Customer Facing Roles More Susceptible to Sexual Harassment?

Organisations often fail to counteract the problem of sexual harassment for customer facing roles as they fear a lack of revenue generation. For many retail outlets, challenging a customer would mean alienating them from the product or service that the organisation offers. Furthermore, for marginalised genders, sociological conditioning that states that they must be docile to customers, lest they face a lack of sales. Uncomfortable advances and gestures are hence mostly ignored by employees in customer facing roles as they think it might lead to their termination or less revenue generation.

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Moreover, according to statistical data researched and found by this company, women are represented at a ratio of one woman to eight men in leadership positions. At the CEO level in hotel organizations, women are represented in a ratio of one woman to 21 men. This presents a disconnect in diverse leadership for organisations. Consequently, a lack of diverse leaderships contributes to a lack of policies in place that can place preventive measures against sexual harassment in place.

In the same light, Clare Smyth, Head Chef at Core, and world’s first three-star female Michelin Chef, upon asking about the hindrances working in the kitchen across people said, “When I was coming up in the industry, it was a testosterone-fuelled environment. People would hide your equipment or turn your oven off in the middle of service. It was a macho culture, but it wasn’t specifically targeted at women. It was a general toughening-up. Hopefully, those days are long gone.”

According to the Castell Project Report, 2019, approximately 70% of the global workforce are women, however, the majority of them are employed at low level positions. The last few decades in the hotel industry have witnessed progression on gender equality to a great extent. Even so, when it comes to breaking the glass ceiling at higher positions, companies lag behind. Similarly, in the retail industry, marginalised gender in lower positions have to regularly interact with customers which places them at a higher risk of facing sexual harassment.

Women are also less likely to be promoted in departments of accounts and fiscal responsibility. According to a study conducted by life insurer Allianz, in their article “Women, Money and Power”, 51% women control the finances of their family and 37% married women are the sole bread earner. This shows a disconnect between community behaviour and organizational structure. This is because there is an institutional bias that has been inculcated which constraints feminine figures from career advancements. To counter this bias, the industry needs to take more intentional and deliberate action.

Susan Keels, GM of the Royal Park Hotel, upon being asked how she was treated differently as a female General Manager, she said, “If you do your job well, you will get your recognition, but it will take a woman longer than it takes a man on a top management level.”

How can Organisations Create Preventive Measures for Employees in Customer Facing Roles?

Organisations must start to focus on building a safe environment for employees, where they can come forward with their experiences of sexual harassment. Moreover, unconscious biases must also be addressed with the help of bias training programs as well as training and awareness programs. Biases and stereotypes often have discriminatory impacts on how marginalised genders within industries perceive their workplace culture. In an article published by Hotelier India- “Redefining Power Perceptions”, it is mentioned that having female board members brings an additional perspective, since they represent 50% of the customer base as well as the workforce.

Advisories that help organisations be POSH compliant as well as put their policies and processes in place are an integral way to build a safer workplace for employees. Many employees are mostly unaware about their company’s POSH policies. Common questions are often left unanswered for them. POSH awareness sessions that help employees gain an understanding of their company’s POSH compliance as well their company’s anti-sexual harassment policies give them the space to be comfortable at their place of work.

Diversity encompasses both inclusion and equity across the board. Diverse inputs add value, emotional quotient (EQ) as well as a new dimension to a solution or situation requiring a solution. The leadership can demonstrate this by ensuring a fair and equitable treatment for all employees. This should be irrespective of the unit or corporate office level positions. They should also regularly meet with the unit heads to discuss key issues concerning gender biases. This will give them an inkling for any biases creeping in, intentionally or otherwise. All interactions by the leadership at all levels need to demonstrate this attribute of inclusion and diversity.

Moreover, diversity and inclusion advisories also help companies create a more diverse and inclusive leadership. This helps employees find proper mentorship as well as be comfortable about reporting instances of sexual harassment that they may have faced. Combating unconscious biases as well as creating the necessary space and alignment for employees to feel safe within their workplace not only creates preventive measures against sexual harassment, but also helps organisations build a more positive workplace culture.

Written by: Anuska Roy

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. Our team specializes in advising workplaces on workplace diversity and inclusion. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to understand how we can partner with your organization to build a more inclusive workplace.