Review uncovers systemic drivers of sexual harassment among female teenage hospitality employees, highlighting an urgent need for targeted workplace protections and managerial reforms.
Key Points
Examine empirical research, theoretical frameworks, and federal legal actions regarding sexual harassment targeting female adolescent workers in the hospitality sector.
Synthesized theoretical and empirical literature addressing adolescent workplace sexual harassment within the hospitality industry.
Evaluated 23 federal workplace harassment lawsuits filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of female teenage employees from 2019 to 2024.
Organizational factors—including customer satisfaction imperatives ('the customer is always right') and the normalization of harassment—systematically suppress reporting and prevent training.
Federal authorities filed 23 lawsuits involving female teenage hospitality victims between 2019 and 2024, with risks projected to increase as legal restrictions on youth working hours and alcohol service decline.
Current managerial interventions remain insufficient, demonstrating an urgent requirement for tailored anti-harassment safeguards and higher-quality empirical research.