The Algorithm Age

Two important events concerning sexual harassment took place this week. Australian female-led hospitality advocacy group Sorry Not Sorry toured the United Kingdom, raising awareness of sexual harassment in the hospitality industry. Last year, its founders, along with other former staff for hospitality giant Swillhouse , reported being sexually assaulted at work, rostered alongside their assailants, pressured to take drugs, encouraged to have sex with customers, harassed, discriminated against, and their reports to management ignored. Just days later, this masthead published an explosive exposé about the Merivale hospitality empire, alleging that its VIP customers routinely engaged in lewd and unwelcome sexualised behaviour towards its female staff. Swillhouse and Merivale have denied any wrongdoing. In this same week, a new report by the Australian Human Rights Commission was released, highlighting the ongoing and seemingly intractable problem of sexual har...

The Fair Work Commission has found a tradie was “forced to resign” from his job after his employer swore at him during a secretly recorded meeting about his performance. A workplace lawyer said the issue “cuts both ways” with both employees and employers potentially able to take action if they face swearing at work . Commissioner Susie Allison found that while swearing was likely to be a part of the “everyday work culture” of the tradie’s employer, Melbourne small business DMG Building & Electrical Services, the language and behaviour directed at him were “not appropriate or acceptable behaviour in any workplace”. She said the worker was “reasonably concerned for his mental and physical safety” and had no “real choice” but to resign. McCabes Lawyers principal Tim McDonald told Yahoo Finance the case raised issues for both employees and employers. RELATED Right to disconnect warning as worker sues former employer for $800,000 ...