A Herald and Good Food investigation reveals a top Sydney restaurant group allegedly ousted female staff after they reported sexual assaults and encouraged on-duty sex and drug use.Sydney’s lockout laws were introduced a decade ago to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence at bars, pubs and clubs. They were a strong state government response to a brutal and highly toxic male culture that leached into nightclubs, where sexual assault and sleaze came to be tolerated with almost callous nonchalance.
In a statement, Swillhouse said it responded with urgency whenever serious claims were presented. Part of the problem was that the group experienced massive growth in a short time, organisationally struggling to keep pace. The company did not employ a human resources representative until 2019, when it already had four venues and hundreds of staff. More than 2300 employees have worked for Swillhouse since it was founded in 2008.