You’re sexist! Row over bar woman’s advert for a man... as he must do heavy lifting
A WOMAN running a pub/restaurant unwittingly stirred a sexism row after deciding she needed a man to lift heavy cooking oil cans. She advertised for a male chef – and provoked outrage.
The advert, put online by Angela Borsi, read: “Chef job! In Slug and Lettuce Bristol Harbourside. Boys first, if possible.”
She said the £8-an-hour job, for 40 to 45 hours a week, was suited to a male worker due to the heavy lifting of supplies required.
The ad was put in the Facebook group “jobs in Bristol and surrounding areas”.
One responder wrote: “Wow, if this isn’t the most sexist post I’ve seen today.”
I have two girls in the kitchen already. One is me and the other is pregnant and we need a man for the heavy lifting, when we do an oil change
Another asked: “Are you looking for boyfriend or chef?”
Ms Borsi said yesterday: “It’s nothing bad. I didn’t want a boyfriend.
“I have two girls in the kitchen already. One is me and the other is pregnant and we need a man for the heavy lifting, when we do an oil change.
“It involves 20-litre containers and they are heavy. That’s the reason I put ‘boys first’.”
Under UK law, employers must not show gender discrimination when not essential.
Guidance from employment agency Reed says: “An employer cannot show a preference to hire someone of a particular gender without a genuine occupational requirement.
“Without one, any language in the job advert relating to gender preference could be viewed as discriminatory.
“Even with seemingly good intentions from a recruiter, such as trying to even up the gender split in the office, for example, favouring a man or woman for a particular role is generally not acceptable.”
GMB: Piers Morgan and Nicola Thorp row over sexism
A spokesman for the Slug and Lettuce pub chain said of Ms Borsi’s advert: “The post certainly does not reflect company policy.
“We apologise for any offence that was caused.”
He added that Ms Borsi would receive “training”.
He said: “Our management will be handling this directly to ensure that a full human resources refresher is provided and the correct recruitment procedures are adhered to.”