Renowned bartender Monica Berg has launched Back of House, a free digital platform providing the hospitality industry with a tool to raise concerns regarding discrimination, harassment and other harmful situations.
Back of House started at Monica’s London bar Tayēr + Elementary, which she opened in 2019 with partner Alex Kratena (both pictured above).
The pair wanted to give their employees a “safe, inclusive and open working environment” where they could report their issues while remaining anonymous if they wished.
They created an online resource where staff could fill out a form to express their problems, stating who they would feel most comfortable speaking to about the issue, and also suggesting a potential solution.
Now Monica has opened up the facility to the wider on-trade. Company owners with the hospitality industry can register and either use the form template or tailor one to their own needs. They can then share the link with their team and will receive an email when someone has filled it out.
Monica said: “We work in one of the best industries in the world, but it is also one of the toughest – and, unfortunately, where inappropriate behaviour or actions can sometimes go unnoticed.
“It’s really upsetting to me to think that there are people out there who are afraid to go to work, have no one to turn to within their teams or who don’t know how to take that first step to speak up.
“That’s why I’m opening up our internal resource to the global hospitality community, providing a platform for people to use in their own businesses.
“I hope it will help alleviate pressures for business owners, as well as providing a safe space for employees to express their issues.”
