Hospitality giant appoints human rights lawyer to probe allegations
Hospitality giant Merivale has denied allegations of a toxic environment at its Level 6 club that exploited women, according to reports.
Merivale said it "categorically rejects" the exposé published by Nine newspapers, where a Merivale manager described the Level 6 club as "one step away from being a brothel."
The Nine report, citing the club's former employees, alleged that the venue "created a toxic environment that exploited women, encouraged them to have sex with customers, perpetuated sexual harassment, and facilitated frequent drug use."
Merivale admitted that "incidents occur involving both patrons and staff" just like in other hospitality businesses, The Guardian reported.
"There is no denying this. However, Merivale handles complaints that are made about such incidents in accordance with its policies and procedures as well as its legal obligations," a spokesperson from the company told the news outlet.
According to the spokesperson, the company has no records of the allegations, adding that the reported incidents were "largely historical and date back as far as 2011" and were unable to be properly probed due to the limited information available.
"If any of these allegations are even remotely true, we sincerely regret any distress caused," the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, Merivale also announced the appointment of human rights lawyer Kate Eastman SC to look into the allegations, The Guardian reported.
Eastman will receive "any further information from anyone on these allegations to enable her to conduct an independent investigation of any complaints made to her," according to the hospitality giant.
Employees have the option to remain anonymous in raising their concerns to Eastman, who can be reached directly via email.
"Any particular information that she is requested to keep confidential will be kept confidential," the company said.
Merivale has also been taking steps to support more employees in reporting issues or concerns. On its website, it has an Employee Support page encouraging staff to report issues or concerns to their manager or People Experience Team.
They may also direct their concerns to chief people officer Jessica Furolo or Group General Manager Frank Roberts, according to the website.
"Merivale is committed to protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of all team members and a workplace where all employees feel valued and safe," it said on the page. "All Merivale employees are fully encouraged to speak up with confidence when something doesn't feel right."
