Monster Kitchen and Bar sexualises, demeans female staff

A Canberra trade union and former employees have accused a local hotel of sexualising and demeaning its female workers, after advertising for staff on dating app Tinder.

An advertisement for Ovolo Nishi's Monster Kitchen and Bar, posted on Tinder and other social media platforms in April 2019, featured a cartoon of a naked female alien and encouraged potential employees to "swipe right" on the business.
Former Monster Kitchen and Bar employees Anaya Holt, 22, and Katie Laycock, 25, who say new uniforms the restaurant introduced in May were sexualised. Picture: Jamila Toderas

Former Monster Kitchen and Bar employees Anaya Holt, 22, and Katie Laycock, 25, who say new uniforms the restaurant introduced in May were sexualised. Picture: Jamila Toderas

The former staff members have also accused the business of asking them to wear revealing uniforms. Ovolo strenuously denies the accusations it has acted inappropriately.

United Voice ACT branch secretary Lyndal Ryan described the Tinder ad as "revolting".

The ad read: "Full time, casual or part time relationships (positions) are available and Monster is happy to hook up over breakfast, lunch or dinner (shifts)", and then, "... please RSVP to the email below if you can make it on a first date (recruitment date)".

"I can't see how it could be more explicit in terms of a naked monster," Ms Ryan said.

Ad Standards has not received any complaints about the advertisement.
An advertisement for Monster Kitchen and Bar, which was put on Tinder and other social media platforms in April, 2019. Picture: Supplied

An advertisement for Monster Kitchen and Bar, which was put on Tinder and other social media platforms in April, 2019. Picture: Supplied

Former casual employee Anaya Holt, who worked at Monster for more than two years before resigning in July, said it would raise "a red flag" for anyone who had previous experience in the industry.

"If you saw that as a young person who had experience in hospitality ... you would go, that is appalling - you can't work there if that's their standard," Ms Holt said.

"[Tinder is] a sex app; it's not even a dating app, it's for having one night stands, and you're using that to get a job? I don't want to be there."

Management brought in new uniforms for waiters at the New Acton restaurant in May. They consisted of a slim-fit white blouse and black pleather skirt for women, and white T-shirts, blazers, and trousers for men.

While the outfits painted male staff as authoritative and professional, female staff were presented as "trashy" in comparison, Ms Holt said.

Ovolo rejected all allegations made by three employees to The Canberra Times, but did not address the Tinder advertisement specifically.

"We reject outright these claims by a former employee," a spokesman for Ovolo said.

"Ovolo's uniforms are in keeping with community expectations, our group policies and the high standards of our award-winning and community centric brand."

The initial female uniform shirts were only ordered up to a size 10; a decision former employees described as "odd", given that the sizing was not appropriate for multiple people. Red lipstick and accessories were also encouraged.

"[The uniform insinuates] that the female staff are just there for decoration and were not to be taken seriously but the male staff, who are quite often not as skilled, [should be]," another person who worked for Monster, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

"It should not have been approved at any point. I have no idea how they could think that's appropriate in 2019, I just don't."
The Monster Kitchen and Bar uniform that employees felt was sexualised. Picture: Supplied

The Monster Kitchen and Bar uniform that employees felt was sexualised. Picture: Supplied

More shirt sizes arrived a couple of weeks later, but because they were slim fitting and quite sheer, Ms Holt and other employees felt they still looked inappropriate.

"Even back [before Ovolo took over the business in March last year], you'd still get comments by male clientele; a little joke at the end of service being like, 'My room is here if you want to come up later'," Ms Holt said.

"It's like a little trope and it feels like a speakeasy act; the red lipstick and the whole vibe."