By Ailish Delaney
As a business owner, Billy tries to create a supportive environment all employees deserve. Her advice? Back your staff and don’t tolerate bad behaviour.”Don’t put your staff in that situation if you can help it,” she said. When conflicts arise, whether between customers or with co-workers, she addresses them head-on. “Hospitality is a stressful environment… if the chefs get angry at you, it’s not at you… they will always acknowledge it.” Not every hospitality experience is negative — many women find supportive teams, flexibility and genuine friendships. But the pattern is clear: an industry that has normalised inappropriate behaviour for too long. Sarah believes the responsibility lies with everyone: customers need to be decent human beings, and the industry needs to do more to protect staff. She’s absolutely right.Real change requires action at every level. Businesses must prioritise staff safety over profits. Customers need to stop treating hospitality workers like they’re part of the service — no grabbing, no sleazy comments, no crossing boundaries. And the industry’s glorification of ‘boys club’ behaviour needs to end. The solution isn’t complex. It’s about treating people with basic respect. The question is whether the industry is finally ready to demand it. Feature image: Getty.