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Date: 7/2/2021
WESTERN MASS. – Two Weeks Notice Brewing Co. of West Springfield and White Lion Brewing Co. of Springfield are hosting a free seminar on sexual harassment and sensitivity for local brewing/taproom owners – all the way down to their kitchen staff.
On July 17, brewers are encouraged to gather at Two Weeks Notice, located at 110 Bosworth St., for a presentation on this matter. Attendees are asked to arrive at 1:30 p.m. The presentation will go from 2 to 3 p.m., followed by a networking session with refreshments, beer (of course), and a chance to talk about issues raised during the presentation.
Sexual harassment, abuse and toxicity in the craft beer industry has become a topic of considerable conversation in recent months with accusations being made public through social media. Specifically, Brienne Allen, the production manager of Salem’s Notch Brewing Co., launched a campaign on Instagram in which she invited women in the industry to share their experiences and made them public. The stories resulted in the resignation of some high-ranking members of multiple breweries, including Wormtown Brewing Co. in Worcester.
With a background in human resources (HR) consulting, Meg Avery, co-owner of Two Weeks Notice Brewing, is responsible for bringing this seminar to fruition.
While the “boom” of craft beer is somewhat new, Avery believes the consideration of issues such as sexual harassment hasn’t been on the forefront. As a result, employees need to know how to handle certain matters.
According to Avery, dealing with HR has always been an area of weakness for breweries.
“Breweries are unique. A lot of people are brewers – no HR background.”
She went on to say, “I have a lot of friends in the industry. When this all happened … misogyny, racism, etc., I talked to my husband and asked about holding a seminar.”
Avery described the stories coming out as “concerning.”
Similarly, White Lion Brewing Founder Raymond Berry and Operating Partner Ashley Clark said they wanted to be a part of this and joined as co-sponsors.
Avery said, “I talked about what I wanted to present and came up with an agenda.”
Although she realizes that some issues may never make it onto an agenda, she hopes to provide some resources to others in the industry.
“I am a female business owner and an avid feminist,” stated Avery. “I want to be on the forefront for breweries to understand.”
Her hope is that with this seminar, they can model what they would like to see in the industry, along with being a part of the solution.
“I hope this can provide other breweries with real examples, and establish some type of policies that they may want in place,” said Avery.
All of Two Weeks Notice and White Lion Brewing staff will be in attendance, along with Vanished Valley Brewing, and other breweries/individuals who have been invited. In total, there are 140 spots to be filled.
“It’s important for the industry to wake up. This is not going to go away. We need to be preventative and proactive,” Avery said.
For Avery, she said this is just the beginning, as there are a million other projects and matters she hopes to get involved with in the future.
To learn more about the seminar, visit Two Weeks Notice Brewing Co.’s Facebook page.