Sparked by an Instagram post a few days ago, the brewing and hospitality industry has peeled back the covers to expose longstanding and widespread discrimination, sexual harassment and misconduct across the country.
The Instagram post by Brienne Allan @ratmagnet provided the opportunity for others to post about their personal experiences. In many cases, some of the posts describing specific instances also mention the individual and/or company involved.
One post from a brewery employee today pointed out that the outpouring had already made a difference, describing how the owner of the brewery took the opportunity during its weekly Monday morning staff meeting to state that the company must do better in its hiring practices and honored to support the staff when complaints are filed.
This movement is overdue for our industry. It is time to self-reflect. Although social media provides no filter for truth versus myth, an outpouring such as this is a wakeup call that our industry needs not only to be better, but to strive for zero tolerance. We are all responsible to be aware, to not ignore, and to listen and respond to any and all complaints of any kind.
Let’s all be our best and let’s not leave any room for acceptance or excuses of any kind.