California residents and others who work as bartenders may have to deal with poor behavior from customers on a regular basis. When it comes to incidents of nonfatal work violence, they have the third-highest rate behind law enforcement and security personnel. Some may simply choose to deal with the behavior in the hope that they don’t lose their tips. Employees may also feel like they have to put up with the behavior because they haven’t been trained on how to deal with it.
Many bars and restaurants have a token policy when it comes to sexual harassment or don’t offer training at all. One woman who has been a bartender for nine years said that she had never received any formal training in the subject. However, a program called Safe Bars may be able to help both bartenders and patrons spot sexual harassment and take action to stop it.
It is thought that having someone intervene when they see sexual harassment occurring may be the best way to stop it from happening. In fact, it may be more effective than conducting sexual harassment training courses. When sexual harassment occurs at a bar or similar venue, there may be many people who can intervene, making such a strategy an effective one.
If a person is a victim of harassment, he or she may wish to bring it to his or her employer’s attention. In the event that the employer doesn’t take action or retaliates against the employee, it may be possible to file a lawsuit to obtain compensation in the form of back pay with interest or punitive damages. Those who are wrongfully terminated may have the right to be reinstated to their former positions.