Hospitality workers take to boss rating app
An app developed by the hospitality union United Voice, giving workers the ability to rate their employers and inform customers and industry colleagues of the culture of a venue, has been a hit with hospitality employees.
Workers are saying it’s not only good for identifying places that underpay them. It’s also good for alerting others to bosses that harass and subject them to unwanted advances.
Victorian hospitality workers Sarah Jones, Jess Browning and Nicola Keating say these experiences are quite common in the industry.
While some employers are quite good, they say there are others who are just ordinary to say the least.
Jess Browning says getting harassed and exploited comes with the territory.
As a chef, it’s mostly been to do with being underpaid. It's really common in the kitchen especially," Browning told SBS News.
The app allows workers to document their experiences.
It also gives them the opportunity to rate their current or former bosses anonymously. And it allows them to see how it compares with other potential workplaces.
Nicola Keating say the app comes in handy.
"There's not a whole lot of job security in hospitality and this is a unique opportunity to turn the tables on that," Keating told SBS News.
Melbourne hotelier Anthea Leopoldseder, who runs the Labor in Vain pub in the inner suburb of Fitzroy, says it’s a good addition to the online ratings world.
Staff are your most important asset when it comes to hospitality. Without your staff you really don't have a decent venue," she told SBS News.
"The most important thing you can do is treat your staff properly."
And the union says the app is needed.
But hospitality union United Voice secretary Jess Walsh said many bosses were simply not looking after their workers.
"We did a recent survey in hospitality and We found that over 75 per cent of hospitality workers are being underpaid in some way," Walsh told SBS News.
by Leon Gettler, December 6th 2017
