Bullying hit for Korean restaurant chief

Charlotte Lam

A female branch manager of the Korean restaurant chain Terrace In Seaside, located in a Kowloon Tong mall, has been suspended due to allegations of what the chain's management characterizes as sexual harassment.

The accusations stem from claims that she made inappropriate nicknames and jokes about a new female staff member's physical appearance.

In a post shared on the social media platform Threads on Saturday, the victim recounted her experience working at the Festival Walk branch.

She accused the manager, referred to as Mavis, of giving her an inappropriate nickname on her first day.

Within hours of starting work, the manager allegedly called her "large-breasted girl" without her consent.

By the second day, this nickname had evolved to "large-breasted Lin," a title that other senior staff members reportedly adopted as well, leading many colleagues to refer to her by that name instead of her real one.

"It felt like I lost my own name," the victim said.

The situation worsened on her third day, when colleagues began making crude jokes about her body.

One coworker even suggested that her chest could serve as a "safety net" while she carried plates.

On her fourth day, she was added to the restaurant's WhatsApp group chat, where the manager allegedly included the nickname in the duty roster, while other employees were listed by actual names.

In another incident, she was instructed to stand outside the restaurant to attract customers, with the manager telling her to use her "body curves" for this purpose.

The victim condemned the restaurant for fostering a culture of disrespect and unprofessionalism, saying, "The staff at your Hong Kong branch lack training and have not learned how to respect others."

The post quickly went viral, prompting many users to urge her to file an official complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission.

One person online said: "Take this to the Equal Opportunities Commission - we can't tolerate this."

Another added, "Workplace bullying like this is unacceptable. Stay strong; we are here to support you."

In response to the allegations, Terrace In Seaside released a statement on its social media page, saying it has a "zero-tolerance" policy toward sexual harassment.

It said the manager has been suspended pending an internal investigation.

"We aim to ensure that every colleague works in a safe and respectful environment," it read. "To achieve this, we have implemented policies and guidelines aligned with the Sex Discrimination Ordinance to prevent sexual harassment. We encourage any colleague who experiences inappropriate behavior to report it to human resources or management."

The company also pledged to enhance staff training and address workplace issues fairly to improve the working environment.