“Have a holly, jolly Christmas; It’s the best time of the year. I don’t know if there’ll be snow, But have a cup of cheer. Have a holly, jolly Christmas; And when you walk down the street, Say Hello to friends you know, everyone you meet.”
Yep, my Black Friday bargain 84-inch plazma TV is up and running, the festive movies are in full swing and I am now fully “Christmassed up”.
I must admit I am really looking forward to the Decision Marketing Festive Team Night Out With Crackers Galore And Much, Much, More, the only time of the year when the old soak – that’s the esteemed editor of this august online empire to you lot – actually gets his wallet out.
However, it seems all is not well in pubs and bars up and down the country. You see, for thousands of young people pulling pints and clearing tables this month, the festive season comes with a darker side.
Most of the staff working late-night Christmas shifts are under 25. Many are students, some are apprentices, others are in their first proper job. Most are polite, eager and doing everything they can to keep the place moving, apparently, yet once the drink starts flowing, the job gets a lot harder.
Research by Unite, has found nearly half of hospitality workers have been sexually harassed, and most have witnessed it happening to others. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 16- to 24-year-olds face the highest levels of harassment in public and work-related settings. It means the youngest staff on the floor are often the ones facing the most risk.
Luckily, there’s an app for that; SaferSpace was created to address the lack of secure, accessible reporting routes in the workplace and education settings. The platform allows users to submit anonymous or named reports via a mobile-first interface, access institution-specific safeguarding policies, and receive updates on outcomes.
Co-founder Shane Mann explains: “You’ve got huge groups out for the first time all year, a lot of alcohol and very young staff, including apprentices, trying to stay professional. They don’t want to lose shifts, and they don’t want to be seen as difficult, so they put up with behaviour that really isn’t OK. It’s horrible to watch young people talk themselves out of their own discomfort.”
But apparently it’s not just staff who feel unsafe.
Mann continues: “Revellers can get caught up in the night and not realise until the morning that something felt wrong. You get that sinking feeling the next day, but you don’t want to kick off or embarrass yourself, so people just keep quiet.”
Workers say some incidents feel “subtle” at first. A customer stands too close. A joke goes too far. Someone touches a waist or an arm when handing back a card. “Most harassment isn’t dramatic,” Mann explains. “It creeps in. Young staff doubt themselves and think they’re making a fuss.”
Bosses are under pressure too. A new law, the Worker Protection Act, means employers must take reasonable steps to prevent harassment, not just deal with it afterwards. But December is hectic, managers are stretched thin and early signs are easy to miss.
Mann says the answer isn’t always a formal complaint.
“A lot of young people aren’t ready for that,” he says. “They just want somewhere private to ask, ‘Was that normal?’ or ‘Should I be worried?’ If they don’t have that outlet, nothing gets reported and nothing gets fixed. That’s why we built SaferSpace Lite.”
Mann reckons that most nights out pass without trouble, but December brings real risks for the youngest people in the room. And while customers unwind, it’s often the staff or vulnerable guests who pay the price when the line gets crossed.
“Christmas should be fun for everyone,” Mann says. “That includes the people serving the drinks. They deserve to feel safe, not scared to speak up.”
Even the drinks industry has recognised that too many workplaces in its sector are unsafe. Drinks United, a coalition of the world’s biggest drinks groups including Diageo, Bacardi and Pernod Ricard, is the first to bring SaferSpace Lite into its organisation.
Hmmm, I feel bad now. Maybe we should cancel the Decision Marketing Festive Team Night Out With Crackers Galore And Much, Much, More after all, there is definitely nothing “normal” about a night out on the town with Foxy, Roxy, Peggy and Meggy from Smeggy, the old soak, George Clooney lookalikey McCawley and all his chums.
I get the distinct feeling that SafeSpace might not be able to cope with the volume of reports…
Foxy has ditched X but is still on Instagram, just don’t get too excited as she’s never there
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