Sexual Harassment Training Now Offered by Local Restaurant Consultants

Recent exposés in the restaurant industry, like claims of misconduct by chef Mario Batali and fostering a culture of sexual harassment by chef John Besh, have shown that employees often feel like they have nowhere to turn for help.

To that end, Austin consulting firm We.Moxie, which specializes in human resources for the hospitality industry, is hosting sexual harassment training sessions for restaurant workers. While the training is targeted towards owners and managers, anyone is welcomed to attend.

The training includes industry-specific, hands-on coaching, a certificate of completion, and a final quiz. “It gives you working knowledge of what harassment looks like,” We.Moxie staffer Kristina Grappo said, “what is borderline, and how to handle both appropriately, be it in-house, using an expert, or when to call a lawyer.”

We.Moxie created content from a combination of research (including Eater articles) and real-life scenarios. “We have all experienced bosses who either dismiss harassment claims or use the lines ‘You’re just being too sensitive,’ or ‘That’s just the way so-and-so is,’ or even worse, experienced repercussions from reporting,” explained Grappo in an email. “Similarly, we want to equip restaurants with the skill sets to deal with harassing customers as well.”

Trainings take place at Still Austin Whiskey Co. on St. Elmo Road. The first will be held on Tuesday, January 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tickets for the session are $177 per person. A second training is planned for Tuesday, February 20 at the Mueller location of Alamo Drafthouse.

• Harassment in Hospitality - Training [EventBrite]