Bar staff will be expected to keep customers safe from sexual violence in their venues in light of alarming sex and drug allegations in the industry.
Hospitality workers in NSW will undergo compulsory sexual violence prevention training following an overhaul of the state’s mandatory responsible service of alcohol (RSA) training by the Labor government.
The major update comes in response to allegations that staff at one of Sydney’s top bar and restaurant groups were encouraged to have sex with customers on shift.
Swillhouse, which owns six high-profile venues across Sydney including Le Foote restaurant in the Rocks, whisky bar the Baxter Inn and French restaurant Hubert, was rocked by a litany of disturbing allegations in August.
The investigation by the Sydney Morning Herald shared allegations from five former female employees who claimed Swillhouse had failed to support them after they reported allegations of sexual abuse and harassment from male co-workers.
In response to the scandal, the government pushed to expand the mandatory training for bar staff, with advocacy groups and key stakeholders to be consulted on planned changes to the RSA training manual, which will also include drink spiking.
Hospitality staff will be trained how to recognise and report problematic behaviour from escalating incidents to management or contacting the police.
The Sydney Morning Herald’s months-long investigation also exposed concerns about the culture within Swillhouse venues.
One woman who worked as a bartender at Hubert alleged she was raped in the toilets by a male colleague in 2013 after being made a cocktail of 10 different gins.
‘I got completely blackout drunk… and came to… in the women’s bathrooms at work,’ the woman, who is pursuing her complaint with police, told the publication.
Other staff members at the restaurant claimed there was a special room where they would do lines of cocaine during their shifts, while the all-male bartending team at the Baxter Inn allegedly competed to sleep with customers in a store room.
A $1,000 bottle of wine was allegedly up for grabs for the first bartender to have sex with a customer.
Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte, who is not personally accused of any misconduct, stepped down from the board in the wake of the exposé.
Earlier this month Mr Forte posted a lengthy video on the hospitality group’s Instagram account addressing the allegations.
During his video apology, Mr Forte said he began his hospitality group to ‘create something magical in the city we loved’.
‘We wanted to create a culture of openness, generosity and respect but along the way we messed up,’ he said.
‘It’s heartbreaking to know that people were unsupported, unheard and let down.
‘I’m deeply sorry for that.’
Mr Forte said the allegations against Swillhouse were ‘far-reaching’ and ‘reflect a period of time where our business wasn’t as sophisticated as it is now’.
‘We don’t take them lightly and we respect people’s experiences and their need to share their stories publicly,’ he continued.
‘We’ve heard you, we are listening and we are accountable.’
Investigations by SafeWork NSW into the Swillhouse allegations continue.
Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said the NSW government would take a ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to sexual harassment in its pubs and clubs.
‘This requires a collaborative and co-ordinated effort from everyone,’ Mr Harris said.
‘RSA training is mandatory for all bar staff and security guards at pubs, clubs and small bars across NSW, which is why we are keen to investigate how best to equip them with the tools needed to prevent these sorts of behaviours.’