Michelle sent a message to Eric J. Foss – Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aramark – Email Address that said:
Hello Mr. Foss,
I am writing you in hope to bring some change in the hiring process of future Aramark employees. I used to be an employee with Aramark last year. When I was hired, I noticed that there was very little training, and the only training provided was of food-handling and workplace safety. As an employee, I never experienced any issues with sexual harassment, but I have as a customer.
I believe that it is important for sexual harassment training to take place before future Aramark employees are put to work anywhere, especially on a college campus. The Employee Handbook does have a sexual harassment section that only has four sentences and is redirecting the reader to go find the sexual harassment policy at the workplace. I have never seen the policy when I worked with Aramark and never had a real obligation to even glance at the handbook, meaning that a lot of information is never getting to the future employees.
I know of several incidents where Aramark employees have harassed students on and off the clock. I know of rape incidents that have happened off campus, and molestation in the actual dining hall. I have a friend who was forcefully pushed up against the wall and groped all over while an employee tried to kiss her on her neck. This all happened in a blind spot of the cameras by the bathrooms and no one would have ever known. My friend did not feel comfortable enough to tell anyone what happened to her besides a few others, which happened to be other employees. Although we wanted to leave the decision of speaking up up to my friend, the fact that other employees were not completely alarmed by this behavior says a lot about lack of training in sexual harassment. This type of behavior is absolutely unacceptable in the workplace and anywhere the behavior is uninvited and unwanted. As a student that once had a meal plan, I frequented the dining locations on campus. It is critical for the employees to understand, that just because they see a person come in to dine often does not mean they are anything more than just a customer. It is as if a daily "hello" out of common courtesy, the familiarity of one's face and basic politeness is completely misinterpreted by some employees. This misinterpretation may have very well been what led one of the employees to feel comfortable and entitled to take advantage of my unconscious body at a party and scarring me for life.
Preventative measures can be taken so that employees receive a better understanding of sexual consent, what constitutes as sexual harassment and the legal consequences that follow after sexual harassment crimes are committed. For many prospective employees, this may be the first time they are exposed to what sexual assault is so it imperative that they are educated about the matter before interacting with customers. Not only may sexual assault be prevented, but also any harassment of customers. Employees must know not to flirt and harass a customer after they have showed no interest and said no. Employees must understand that no means no and remains a no. It is my understanding, that all employees on campus here at the University of Florida receive sexual harassment training and understand that sexual harassment of any kind would not be tolerated. It is in my hope that change is brought towards the hiring process and that there is an eradication of sexual assaults in our students here by Aramark employees.
Another one out of five,
Michelle
