3 minute read
Challenging inappropriate behaviour in the hospitality industry
from Hotel SA July 2024
by Boylen
Everyone deserves a safe working environment that is free of discrimination, bullying, and disrespectful behaviour. The South Australian hotels industry is taking a stand!
In June, AHA|SA CEO, Anna Moeller, signed our industry’s WE’RE EQUAL commitment, aimed at embracing inclusivity, diversity, and zero tolerance for violence in venues.
It was fantastic to be joined at the National Wine Centre of Australia with AHA|SA Council Members, Minister for Small and Family Business, the Hon. Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, the Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP, and South Australia’s Equal Opportunity SA Commissioner, Jodeen Carney.
Anna said, “We’re celebrating two things. Our commitment to WE’RE EQUAL, but also the launch of the AHA|SA’s Bystander to Upstander training with ISC Consulting, which will provide pubs across the state and their staff with all the strategies they will need to prevent and address any inappropriate behaviour in their venues.”
“Challenging inappropriate behaviour where staff and the public are concerned can be overwhelming at times. We want to make sure that venue operators and their staff are well equipped with the necessary skills and resources to best manage these situations.”
“The AHA|SA is taking a stand and taking the lead in this space in South Australia to support our members and the broader industry sector,” Anna said.
Jodeen said, “Complaints to our office over many years showed that we needed to come up with an initiative to help businesses and organisations deal with discrimination in the workforce.”
“Under the state’s Equal Opportunity Act, there are 14 grounds of discrimination. The WE’RE EQUAL initiative aims to assist businesses to help their staff deal with discrimination when they see it, but also for businesses to nail their colours to the mast and say ‘we believe in social inclusion, we commit to our customers, suppliers and staff to treat them equally, respectfully and with dignity’, and for their business to be an easily identifiable safe place.”
“Having zero tolerance to discrimination and embracing difference and diversity is a good message and one for all South Australian’s to hear,” Jodeen said.
Anna said, “The South Australian hotels industry now has a massive opportunity to lead the nation in creating safer venues and workplaces of choice by saying “no” to violence and discrimination.”
Please watch the below video featuring Anna and Jodeen speaking more about the importance of our commitment and the training on offer.
The free half-day Bystander to Upstander training sessions at the AHA|SA head office are booking out quickly! Please click on one of the below dates to register. If you can’t find a session that suits your staff, please email Anna Caretti: acaretti@ahasa.asn.au and we will register your interest for a future session.
Please note:
There is a maximum of 2 attendees per venue that can register for each session.
This course contains content that attendees might find disturbing, difficult to view or discuss, or which may be triggering for some attendees. The presenter will use their best endeavours to advise attendees of such material in advance of it being shown or discussed so attendees can decide whether to leave the room for that topic or part of the course.
