A 32-year-old chef and nutrition coach began her new role at a luxury hotel in Bengaluru, only to be greeted by the programme director’s chilling words, “Welcome to hell”. Little did she know, it would soon prove to be a “living hell” on Earth, not just for her but for the entire staff. Long, gruelling shifts, a hostile work environment, and constant sexual harassment… and yet, the nightmare had only just begun to unfold.
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While speaking to The Nod magazine, Nayantara Menon Bagla opened up about her time at the luxury hotel. She claimed that the latecomers were given a “hellish” treatment at the plush hotel. Staff who arrived late were made to stand outside with their hands up for two hours straight and later clean all the fridges with bare hands.
‘Mental health was not even a discussion’: Bagla
Bagla said that the hotel denied time off for personal emergencies: “Whether we were going through a breakup or someone in our family had died, we had to put on our makeup, smile, and greet the guests.”
She said, “There were work shifts of 18-20 hours, seniors taking advantage of young folks and constant sexual innuendoes.”
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Bagla even hinted at “suicides” and “mass bullying” at the workplace. “Sure, kitchens and restaurants are high-pressure environments but it can’t be to the point of covering up suicides or mass bullying,” she added.
“Mental health was not even a discussion,” Bagla further expressed.
‘Women should be subservient in the kitchen’: Bengaluru hotel
The Bengaluru chef stated that female employees at the luxury hotel encountered outdated gender norms, experienced body shaming, and were expected to adopt a submissive “yes boss” attitude.
“I was told to lose weight and that women should be subservient in the kitchen. They even told me to change my attitude or change specialties,” she recalled.
Bagla also said that the hotel didn’t approve her offs during her mother’s cancer diagnosis, explaining that it is “season time”.
“You had to stand outside with your hands up for two hours and clean every refrigerator in the hotel with bare hands,” she recalled about the draconian measures enforced by the Bengaluru hotel.
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