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A female hospitality worker has lifted the lid on the shocking abuse bar and wait staff endure at work – from creepy comments, sexual harassment and in the worst cases rape.
Jamie Bucirde, 26, from Adelaide, is a decade-long veteran in the industry – and she recently launched her website NotSoHospitable for fellow workers to share their own horror stories from behind the bar.
In just four days her site received 263 personal testimonies relating to Adelaide bars, hotels and clubs.
‘Sexual assault and harassment culture within Australian hospitality has been accepted and tolerated for too long,’ Ms Bucirde said.
‘It is ignored, brushed under the rug and normalised because that’s the way it always has been, so that’s the way it is.
‘As someone who has personally experienced being sexually harassed at work, and seen fellow workers harassed more times than I can count on two hands, I stand for all of us when I say enough is enough.’
Jamie Bucirde, 26, from Adelaide, has worked in the hospitality industry for ten years and recently launched her website NotSoHospitable for fellow workers to share their own horror stories from behind the bar
‘Sexual assault and harassment culture within Australian hospitality has been accepted and tolerated for too long,’ Ms Bucirde said
The 26-year-old has started sharing some of the anonymous testimonies onto her website’s Instagram page.
‘I was raped by a someone in a position of power [at work]. They spent a few months grooming me then one night fed me copious amounts of alcohol,’ one read.
‘I woke up in their bed so confused and could only remember a small amount about what happened.’
Another testimony said: ‘I was sexually assaulted by the owner’s dad.
‘He was still allowed to come in and drink whenever he wanted. I didn’t want to make a fuss because I didn’t want to lose my job.’
One worker claimed they had been ‘slapped on the a** by a head chef’ and subjected to ‘continuous sexual comments’.
In just four days her site received 263 personal testimonies just relating to Adelaide bars, hotels and clubs, and has begun sharing anonymous claims online
Ms Bucirde’s website received 263 anonymous claims in just four days last week
Another reported being sent ‘unsolicited messages’ from ‘a male chef and male flood staff’.
Ms Bucirde said the response to her website showed people want ‘positive change’.
‘Together, we can really push for a safer industry, and create the change we want to see within our community. This is not only for current hospo workers, but for future ones too,’ she said.
Ms Bucirde told The Advertiser there was a ‘dark side’ to the party atmosphere in hospitality often fuelled by alcohol, drugs and ‘power imbalances’ among staff.
‘Sexual harassment can be verbal harassment, unwanted texts, asking for nudes, continuously asking someone out after they’ve said no, groping someone, taking advantage of someone who’s drunk right through to rape,’ she said.
She believes most sexual harassment gets ‘swept under the rug’ in hospitality.
‘Our objective is to collect qualitative stories and shine light on the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment within the Adelaide hospitality culture,’ the NotSoHospitable website said.
Ms Bucirde plans to go further than raising awareness about the issues in South Australia.
She said ‘every state needs this’ and also plans to help victims report crimes.
‘Over the next few days, we will start posting more information on how to report, and how to get support if and when you need it,’ she said.
Ms Bucirde said the response to her website showed people want ‘positive change’