Author: Hans & Associates, P.C.
While wage and hour violations are a common target for litigation in the restaurant industry, so is sexual harassment. Recently, a New York chef and restaurant owner became the high profile target of a blog that accuses him of sexual harassment. This is not the type of publicity any restaurant owner would want.
According to the New York Daily News , 22 former female workers of Juventino, a gourmet Fifth Avenue restaurant in Brooklyn have created a blog article that describes their hostile work experiences. They allege that the restaurant owner, Juventino Avila abused them through hostile comments and sexual advances. The purpose of the blog is to expose a restaurant culture that condones sexual harassment. The blog describes abusive treatment as an industry attribute that women accept because they want to keep their jobs. Only one of the bloggers actually intends to take legal action against the restaurant owner.
Restaurant owners who work with an attorney can learn about industry pitfalls and how to avoid them and protect their businesses. Defending against sexual harassment is common within the restaurant industry. Of course the best defense is understanding what constitutes sexual harassment and having business policies in place that owners and workers alike must abide by. Restaurant owners also are responsible for seeing that their employees do not sexually harass other employees.
Stephen Hans of Hans & Associates, P.C. is a New York employment defense lawyer who works with small and medium-sized businesses in the Queens and New York City area. Providing more than three decades of legal experience, he defends his clients’ rights in lawsuits and regulatory actions.