Hospitality Speaks is an independent, not-for-profit platform set up by freelance food journalist Victoria Stewart and restaurant PR Hannah Norris with the aim of creating a safe online space for employees in restaurants, bars, pubs and street food businesses to share anonymously stories of bullying, harassment as well as discuss solutions and share practical content.
The aims of the platform include ‘raising awareness of the extent of the emotional and financial cost of unacceptable behaviour’ and that of ‘the pioneering employers across the industry who have found innovative solutions for creating positive culture and retaining staff’. It will also create an environment in which affected employees feel able to speak up, according to the Hospitality Speaks website.
The campaign also aims to help create some form of tested criteria for a hospitality industry standard for behaviour and ethics, it says.
“Nobody benefits from this behaviour or high staff turnover, especially during this time of political uncertainty. We know from first-hand accounts that businesses which focus on nurturing and training staff are more sustainable and more enjoyable to work in,” it states.
The campaign is aimed at ‘decision makers and staff who want to be better informed about innovative solutions and ideas for creating positive culture and retaining people’ as well as ‘employees looking for a safe online space in which to see and share stories of bullying, harassment and discrimination’.