A former employee at Ever, the Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant known for its elevated tasting menus, alleges she was sexually harassed while working there. The allegation surfaced Friday in a report detailing her claims against the acclaimed West Loop establishment.
The former worker's allegation was reported by Crain's Chicago Business, which wrote that she alleges she was sexually harassed at work.
A Restaurant Industry With Few Formal Complaint Channels
The allegation lands in an industry where employees often have limited avenues to report mistreatment. Chicago restaurants tend to operate as hierarchical small businesses with few formal systems for employee complaints, according to reporting from WBEZ. That dynamic has pushed some workers and advocates to build their own support systems outside traditional management structures.
Five years ago, a group of current and former hospitality workers formed the CHAAD Project specifically to help workers document abuse and demand accountability, per the same WBEZ account. The group allows workers to file reports in English or Spanish through a platform called ShiftChange, after which an advisor follows up with an interview to discuss next steps, the station reported. The project's existence underscores how workers in Chicago's restaurant scene have sought alternatives when formal employer channels fall short.
Broader Patterns in Hospitality Harassment Claims
The hospitality industry has drawn national attention over how harassment complaints are handled. A May 2018 LegisBrief by Suzanne Hultin, citing the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, states that low-wage workers, particularly those in the accommodations and restaurant industries, are more likely to report sexual harassment claims. The agency has also documented harassment cases elsewhere in the restaurant sector, including one involving a 16-year-old employee at a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant who was reportedly touched, kissed, and subjected to an attempted shoulder massage by a 19-year-old shift supervisor, according to the EEOC.
In Illinois, workers who believe they have faced discrimination or harassment on the job have a formal state-level avenue for recourse. The Illinois Department of Human Rights is the state agency responsible for enforcing the Illinois Human Rights Act, which the department says prohibits discrimination in employment, fair housing, financial credit, public accommodations, and sexual harassment in education. Within Chicago city limits, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations separately enforces the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and the Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance, according to the commission.
