A new report has raised widespread concerns around safety, discrimination and inclusion across the UK drinks workforce.
The first UK Drinks Industry Culture Survey of 680 workers across all sectors of UK drinks highlights significant shortcomings, as well as a disparity between the experiences of frontline workers and leaders, younger employees and older colleagues, and minority groups and the wider workforce.
Among the key findings of the research are that 20% of all UK drinks workers report feeling unsafe at work, rising to 50% for LGBTQIA+ workers.
Meanwhile, a third of the workforce (33%) reported having experienced discrimination or harassment, with three-quarters (75%) of all reported experiences coming from women.
Worryingly, over half (54%) of all harassment experiences went unreported, with responders citing power imbalances as a key reason for not reporting sexual harassment, bullying, dismissive behaviour and inappropriate comments.
Almost a quarter (24%) of workers said they had considered leaving the drinks industry due to discrimination or harassment – a statistic that may help to explain poor staff retention, particularly in hospitality settings.
Some 70% of workers expressed support for stronger stronger DEI and safeguarding measures, rising to 79% among workers with health conditions or disabilities, and 88% for those that identified as LGBTQIA+.
A small minority of 11 respondents – all aged over 55 and predominantly male – expressed scepticism about DEI and safeguarding initiatives, framing them as politically motivated or unnecessary due to perceived absence of problems, the report said.
The findings were “a clear mandate for change”, said Drinks United, a coalition founded by the WSTA, WSET and The Drinks Trust that commissioned the report.
“These findings are a clear wake‑up call,” said WSTA CEO Miles Beale. “Too many people in our industry still feel unsafe, excluded or unsupported at work, and that has to change.
“The workforce is asking for stronger leadership, better safeguarding and more consistent standards and collectively we have a responsibility to deliver.”
Drinks United will publish the full findings of its report next month, alongside “practical next steps” for drinks businesses to adopt.
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