Living & Working in Great Places
Harassment in the Seasonal World
OK, so I have recently read a lot of concern over this topic. But I don't want to necessarily talk about specific instances, it's just too, um, touchy. How prevalent is it? Let's not just stick with sexual...any racism, or difficulties with an international understanding, ageism, sexual orientation problems, etc. What are the best ways of dealing with it?
My first response: There is certainly more opportunities for this behavior to happen than in the general public. We work, live and play together. Hook-ups definitely happen, lifelong partnerships are sometimes formed. There is definitely a chance one party may feel a certain way, but not the other, and what point is it work and what point is it not work?
I think the personality that would most likely find this work enjoyable also tends to be less likely to harass anyone. There is sometimes an extended family type relationship that develops and if anyone hurts anyone else it's not easily ignored or tolerated.
I have a difficult time believing any company anywhere in the US not taking this issue seriously. The possible consequences are high. I think that's even more so in the seasonal world. Recruiting is expensive and the seasonal world is rather small. People meet each other and talk...a lot.
I think this might be even more of a concern with those doing business within a park's borders. Where most companies might have to defend their actions in a court, a concessionaire might have to deal with a questioning NPS that doesn't have to even pretend to scrutinize as closely.
I think it is taken just so much more seriously here, than in general. Not only in the companies literature and attitude, but also evident in the number and speed of responses to a possible suggestion.
My first response: There is certainly more opportunities for this behavior to happen than in the general public. We work, live and play together. Hook-ups definitely happen, lifelong partnerships are sometimes formed. There is definitely a chance one party may feel a certain way, but not the other, and what point is it work and what point is it not work?
I think the personality that would most likely find this work enjoyable also tends to be less likely to harass anyone. There is sometimes an extended family type relationship that develops and if anyone hurts anyone else it's not easily ignored or tolerated.
I have a difficult time believing any company anywhere in the US not taking this issue seriously. The possible consequences are high. I think that's even more so in the seasonal world. Recruiting is expensive and the seasonal world is rather small. People meet each other and talk...a lot.
I think this might be even more of a concern with those doing business within a park's borders. Where most companies might have to defend their actions in a court, a concessionaire might have to deal with a questioning NPS that doesn't have to even pretend to scrutinize as closely.
I think it is taken just so much more seriously here, than in general. Not only in the companies literature and attitude, but also evident in the number and speed of responses to a possible suggestion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rich on -
I think one factor that is different in seasonal resort work than it is in "normal" employment is the scarcity of certain trades that leads to employers overlooking or dismissing poor behavior.
Since you asked, I won't get specific, but say you're a server and don't get along with the chef. Or you're a reservationist and dislike that season's manager. If things get ugly, and they can given literal daily contact and close living arrangements for resort employees, it's only logical to assume the employer is going to try and keep the chef or manager, or whoever, happy. It's a lot easier to replace a server or reservationist, especially mid to late season, than it is to replace a chef or manager.
I don't particularly blame employers, having been a restaurant manager myself for many years, and can sympathize with them being placed in a situation where a decision has to be made like that, but it can make life miserable for the "unskilled" employee.
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Permalink Reply by akscootr on -
It depends on the company. I experienced harassment at a certain place a long time ago in Michigan, along with several others who didn't fit in with those who partied at every possible second. The owner didn't care because she would be drunk by 12 noon and actually encourage and participate in the culture of "busting ba###" calling the employees "bit##es" (the term they seemed to favor). I would watch a manager steal from the till and then blame a defenseless young girl, sending her home crying. Lawyers were contacted, but they seemed to think that only sexual harassment mattered for the response from them included a lot of 4-letter words defending a person's "right" to be as they were even if it was hurtful and spiteful.
I have learned to leave these kind of places as if they were infected with the plague, because in a sense they are. This particular spot had a monopoly...so they got away with it. One of these days karma will visit them though... until then it is best to go to a place of employment PREPARED, with $$$, so you can leave if the owners/managers are abusive.
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