Seven percent of American women are employed in the restaurant industry, yet they generate 37% of sexual harassment claims to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. To say the least, this statistic is disconcerting. Upon reflection, one is led to consider factors contributing to the glaring issue at hand. Women working in the restaurant industry are up against the same formidable challenges as women in other industries – underrepresentation in leadership, inadequate health care, pressure to balance work and family. However, in many ways, the restaurant industry’s rampant sexual harassment can be traced back to tipping, once merely a cultural practice, but now a legalized form of payment.

In 42 states, tipped employees can legally be paid subminimum wage, which can be as low as $2.13 per hour. This is based on the assumption that the remainder of the employee’s wages will be made up by tips.

Subminimum tipped wage encourages and perpetuates a culture of sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. Tipped workers are dependent on customers for their wages. When a customer is behaving inappropriately – an uncomfortable comment, an unwanted touch – the worker rarely speaks up. Tipped workers are often struggling to make a living and do not want to risk losing a valuable customer. To further complicate the issue, in many restaurants tips are pooled between workers. Fear of losing money for coworkers can also force workers into silence. This dynamic between customer and employee normalizes the treatment of tipped workers as sexual objects.

Once the workplace has become sexualized in this way, it is a slippery slope to inappropriate behavior from coworkers and managers. The tipped worker feels as though sexual harassment is merely a part of the job that they must tolerate. The harassers themselves gain a feeling of immunity, knowing that they can get away with nearly anything. Demeaning comments are assumed to be part of “kitchen talk”, or harmless banter between coworkers. In short, subminimum tipped wage creates a sexualized restaurant culture that is hostile to tipped workers, particularly women, who make up 66% of tipped employees.

In October 2014, the Restaurant Opportunities Center United released a comprehensive report about sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. The results of the study are alarming, yet sadly unsurprising given the aforementioned dynamics of restaurant work. Women working in tipped positions were three times more likely to have managers or supervisors comment on their appearance, usually telling them to dress “sexier”. To both customers and employers, tipped workers are reduced to nothing more than sexual objects.

Women being paid sub-minimum tipped wage are twice as likely to report sexual harassment as those being paid minimum wage. Even more alarming is that this statistic is only based on reported incidents – sexual harassment remains chronically underreported. 70% of tipped workers surveyed said that they fear repercussions from reporting sexual harassment. Time and time again, the idea that sexual harassment is simply “part of the job” prevails.

Although women are disproportionately affected by subminimum wage and its connection to sexual harassment, the issue takes a toll on every worker. In states with subminimum tipped wage, all workers – including men and untipped employees – reported higher instances of sexual harassment. The sexualized work environment created by subminimum wage means that any employee can be subject to harassment.

This issue reaches far beyond the restaurant itself. Many young people’s first work experience is in the restaurant industry. It is there that they will learn workplace norms and their worth as a worker. These ideas will be carried with them into other professions and industries.

In numerous ways, subminimum tipped wage perpetuates injustices against vulnerable workers. It is an unfortunate reflection of societal values and attitudes. The scope and extent of this problem signals that it is time for a change. By raising or eliminating subminimum tipped wage, tipped employees will gain financial security and thus the power to speak up. Restaurants and corporations can improve sexual harassment training and encourage employees to report experiences with harassment. It will take a significant shift in restaurant culture to overcome these issues, but it is not insurmountable. One day, the restaurant industry will be full of employees valued for their skills, dedication, and ambition, rather than their clothing or waistline. It is time to create a workplace that is safe for all workers.

I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment. Laura Harris

Bibliography:

Marcotte, Amanda. “Restaurant Workers Get Low Wages and Lots of Sexual Harassment.” Slate Magazine. 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.

The Glass Floor: Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry. Restaurant Opportunities Center United. Web.

I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment.

Bob Giraldi’s 2000 film Dinner Rush captures a night in the lives of various workers at a Manhattan restaurant. Although the film only focuses on one night in one restaurant, it is filled with notable portrayals of work and workers in the food industry.

The hierarchy between kitchen workers, servers, and owners is evident throughout the film. The owner sits a designated table and has food delivered to him throughout the night, cooked exactly the way he likes it. Employees listen to his every command (except for his son). The waitstaff are dressed professionally and have direct interactions with the customers. They take pride in proper pronunciation of the names of the Italian dishes. The kitchen staff is generally represented as lower class. The main language of communication in the kitchen is Spanish, whereas English or Italian are used in the dining area. Kitchen workers rarely come up to talk to customers, instead staying at their exact spot on the line.

The physical layout of the restaurant is also important in understanding the portrayals of work in Dinner Rush. The kitchen is located beneath the dining area, symbolizing the kitchen staff’s inferiority. The contrast of the ambiance of the kitchen and of the dining area is obvious. The kitchen is loud, hot, and chaotic, as described by Fine on page 82. The light is harsh and unforgiving. By comparison, the dining area is pleasant and comfortable. In once scene the restaurant’s power is briefly shut off. The waitstaff quickly lights candles, transforming the room into a magical dining experience. When power is restored, customers say they prefer the candlelight. However, in the kitchen, the darkness creates even more chaos. The work becomes even more dangerous (it already is very dangerous, as noted by Fine), and the staff rushes to deliver dishes on time. The dichotomy between the kitchen and the dining area is representative of the different kinds of labor present in each space.

Conflict between the workers is present throughout the film. As described in Abolish Restaurants, the space of restaurant can be designed to create conflict among workers (Prole 33). The kitchen in Dinner Rush is perpetually hot, crowded and chaotic. Workers have little personal space, causing many conflicts. The stairway from the kitchen to the dining area is also ripe for conflict, as waitstaff transport hot dishes and rush to please their customers.

Throughout the film, customers are portrayed as difficult and unyielding. Servers generally put up with their attitudes because the business of the restaurant is dependent on them. However, the servers bond over criticizing the customers behind their backs. This is a common trend in restaurant work (Prole 28). In general, the relationship between workers and customers is shown to be antagonistic.

Although Dinner Rush shows moments of compassion and camaraderie between workers, restaurant work is generally depicted as harsh and undesirable. In many ways, this aligns with our recent readings for class. Restaurant work highlights differences between racial and class group, frequently creating conflict.

Works Cited:

Fine, Gary Alan. Kitchens: The Culture of Restaurant Work. Berkeley: U of California, 2009. Print.

Prole. Abolish Restaurants: A Worker’s Critique of the Food Service Industry. Oakland, Ca: PM, 2010. Web.