However, perhaps as an unintended consequence of encouraging a relatively informal work environment, my coworkers and I experienced rampant harassment from both other employees as well as from management who didn't feel the need to censor their speech or behavior while at work. One coworker experienced severe sexual harassment at the hands of a manager, and it was months before her complaints were heard, and even longer before action was taken. I was frequently berated, abused, and taunted by a manager, and when I aired my concerns to other members of the management team, my claims were ignored, and the the harassment actually increased on the part of the original manager and the one to whom I complained. It seemed to facilitate a "bro culture" where management felt they could make whatever jokes they wanted, speak as disrespectfully as they wanted, and behave as inappropriately as they wanted, without fear of reprisal, as they could justify these actions as part of Kimpton's desire to create a lax and comfortable workspace. For only two months out of my year and a half of employment did my property have a human resources representative on staff, and since the other managers seemed to endorse the harassment I was enduring, I felt I had no recourse to try to establish a less hostile work environment. By the time I left Kimpton, I had developed severe anxiety, and as dramatic as it may sound, I still have nightmares from my time working for them, not derived from stressful situations with patrons, but solely from interactions with management. Again, I must reiterate that these problems seemed to be unique to the specific Kimpton hotel I worked at, and most likely do not represent the experience of employees across all of Kimpton's properties.
