A restaurant in Oakland, California, has implemented a color-coded system to combat harassment from customers. The system, which was created by Chef Erin Wade, categorizes customer behavior into three levels: yellow, orange, and red. Yellow refers to a creepy vibe or unsavory look, orange means comments with sexual undertones, and red signals explicit sexual comments, touching, or repeated incidents in the orange category after being told the comments were unwelcome.

How the System Works

When a staff member experiences harassment, they report the color, and management is required to respond immediately, no questions asked. With a yellow, the employee could choose to switch tables. Orange means the manager or another server immediately takes over the table. If red is reported, the manager ejects the customer from the restaurant.

The system has been in place for over ten years and has been effective in reducing harassment. Wade has expanded the system to address racist incidents and rude behavior from customers. The system has also been adopted by other restaurants nationwide, including some in Texas.

Wade believes that the system is effective because it changes the power dynamics at a very basic level. It doesn’t require staff to question their feelings and cuts off bad behavior before it can even start. The system has also been recognized by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a national best practice.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.