Swillhouse allegations raise concerns over female safety in hospitality
Allegations against Swillhouse’s conduct towards its female staff continue at pace.
The ABC recently reported that former bartender "Holly" bears the scars from an alleged sexual assault by a manager while working at The Baxter Inn.
Holly, which is not her real name, claims one manager assaulted her twice during her employment and described the workplace culture as toxic.
While Swillhouse says it took immediate action to terminate the employment of the male manager, Holly disputes this.
She took the job to advance her career and build her whiskey knowledge, but claims she was only accepted into the role because she passed the "have a beer" policy — which meant they could sit and have a beer with her.
Holly told the ABC it took just a month for her to be assaulted in the bathroom. She said her clothes were torn and she was left with cuts and bruises.
"I just felt like I couldn't tell anyone," Holly told The ABC.
"I just worked really hard to get this job and I didn't want anyone to think that that's why I was hired."
When she found out another staff member had a similar experience, she decided to speak out.
Swillhouse says the manager in question was given a warning two months before the first staff complaint against him, after guests complained and Swillhouse property was damaged.
Holly says she was forced to watch CCTV vision leading up to her assault and was made to feel as if she encouraged the assault.
A Swillhouse spokesperson said she was asked to watch the footage to establish a timeline of events.
A female staff member contacted Holly for welfare chats, which, along with offers for therapy sessions, Holly found disingenuous.
"It would have been nice to have more check-ins to see I am okay, or looking at the behaviours of where that stuff stemmed from," she told the ABC.
"It just seems to be like so on paper, it looked like they were doing something. They didn't actually care for change."
Holly decided against contacting police and was promoted to a head bartender role. In that role, she was asked to hire more females.
"I just felt like it was really insensitive, considering what I've gone through and they weren't that supportive," Holly said.
"Now I was the one that was meant to tell them how to fix it.
"It just felt like they were like, 'Oh well, you're a girl, this has happened to you, you should fix the problem now.'"
Swillhouse has a target of 50 per cent gender diversity.
"All venues have diversity targets and team members are tasked with working towards those targets," a spokesperson said.
"Consultation with female managers is part of Swillhouse's commitment to a safe and diverse workplace."
The hospitality industry has faced growing criticism over workplace conditions, particularly regarding the treatment of women.
Pippa Canavan, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Mix Haus, which works to create opportunities for women in hospitality, has been vocal about the systemic issues facing the industry. During a recent panel event at Sydney Bar Week, Canavan emphasised the need for safe workspaces, noting that women in the hospitality sector often face discrimination and inappropriate behaviour with little support from management.
Fears of retaliation remain a significant barrier to reporting such incidents, with employees concerned about losing shifts or facing defamation threats.
Kellie McDonald, a solicitor from Women’s Legal Service NSW, advised employees facing harassment to seek legal counsel before taking action, ensuring they are aware of their rights. She also stressed that the responsibility for addressing sexual harassment should fall on employers, not victims.
"We need to shift the burden of addressing sexual harassment and violence away from victim survivors," McDonald said.
Jonathan Jackson, 23rd September 2026
