The drinks industry plays a unique role in creating moments of connection – celebrations, milestones and everyday occasions that bring people together. But what about the experiences of the people working behind the scenes in the sector? That’s the question the Respect in Drinks Charter aims to address, by setting a clear industry-wide standard for respectful, inclusive and safe workplaces.
For Melissa Barry, Head of Marketing at Vinarchy, the Charter is both a professional imperative and a personal passion. “Throughout my career I’ve always been values driven,” she shares. “My values have become my compass for making decisions and guiding how I act. One of my values is equity and justice. I’m really driven by doing the right thing and standing up for what is right.”
It’s this values-first approach that makes the Respect in Drinks Charter such a timely and important initiative. Developed by the Drinks Association Embrace Difference Council, the Charter lays out clear expectations around safety, inclusion and zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment or bullying across the industry.
Melissa has seen the impact of change over her ten years in the industry but she believes there’s still room to grow. “I’ve seen a lot of positive change, but there is still a long way to go to reach the potential,” she says. “We represent drinks and hospitality in occasions which bring people together. I believe the industry has the potential to truly lead the way in embracing inclusion to make it an even more dynamic, exciting, welcoming – and importantly – safe place to work. No one should feel unsafe at work, ever.”
In her own role, Melissa is committed to modelling respectful behaviour and holding herself and others to account. “I’m an action-oriented person and hold myself to high standards,” she says. “I try to role model respectful behaviour and challenge my own unconscious bias when making decisions. I’m not afraid to hold others accountable if I think an action or decision is led through bias or a place of injustice.”
She also leads by example through her involvement in initiatives like the Drinks Association Inclusive Leadership Program and by co-leading an internal action group focused on driving cultural change and advancing gender equality.
For Melissa, respect starts with empathy. “I always try to extend empathy first and foremost, to put myself in others’ shoes before I cast judgement. You never know what someone is dealing with behind the scenes until they tell you,” she says. “I aim to be a safe space for people to come to if they are experiencing unfair treatment of any kind and I uphold a zero tolerance approach to any form of discrimination.”
Ultimately, Melissa hopes the Respect in Drinks Charter becomes embedded as the new standard across the industry. “I hope this becomes a non-negotiable to foster respect and inclusion,” she says. “And that it lifts the game – and perception – of the industry at large to become a genuine leader in this space.”
The Drinks Association supports and encourages compliance by its members with the ‘Respect in Drinks Charter’ but makes no representations, expressly or by inference, in relation to the conduct of our members or their compliance with the Charter. The only representation made by the Association is that our member has signed the Charter. Any complaint or claim arising from any alleged breach of the Charter must be made directly to the member organisation.