An employee was abruptly and unfairly rejected by the HR manager of a major hotel chain because of his disability
J. was looking for a job in a hotel. He applied via a hospitality employment agency, and was promised a dishwasher position in the kitchen of a hotel of a major chain in the Netherlands. He was given the contract by the agency, signed it, quit his current job and moved out from the housing where he lived. When he eventually met with the HR manager from the hotel – which was supposed to be the last formal step of acquiring new job – he was told that they can no longer offer it to him.
The reason he was given was that it was due to “his current situation”, in other words, his disability. Our colleague never hid his disability from the recruiter, but suddenly this disability became a problem and they told him that at the moment when he already quit his job, traveled to his new workplace, and was expecting to move in to the accommodation that was supposed to be provided for him.
Because of this discriminatory treatment he is now living in a homeless shelter and has no money to cover the costs of living.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I’m J., I’m 46 years old, and I came here from Portugal in 2021, looking for a fresh start. I was born with a disability on my right side, my hand and leg, I’ve always worked and made my life independent, so my disability is part of me, and never stopped me from reaching my goals.
I’ve always been someone who has never given up against discrimination, and I’ve never expected this would happen to me here in the Netherlands in 2025… So here I am, in the Netherlands, where I worked in production as operator, in warehouse and in restaurants.
Can you describe your interactions with this hospitality recruitment agency?
My interaction with this recruitment agency was normal, I applied for a job, where I wrote a introduction of myself and why I was applying for the vacancy. And then was the normal procedure: first an interview with the recruiter, where I was approved, and then a video call with the HR manager from the hotel, which both were ok.
How has the HR manager’s behaviour affected you?
For me, the worst was the cold and coward attitude from this person, the HR manager, which is the one responsible for managing workers. I just imagine how all the rest of the staff are treated.
Have you experienced that kind of treatment before?
Discrimination always existed in my life, but I always knew how to deal with it. But at this level, it was maybe the first time that I faced it, a cowardly and dishonest attitude that ruined my life goals in a second.
Why did you decide to team up with other workers and to take the issue into your own hands?
After this happened I was one month without reaction. But then I stopped and said to myself that I didn’t do anything wrong, and the fault of all this was on this person.
I come from a family of political prisoners and antifascists so for me it is natural to look for support on the ones from my class. In my country, I was always active in the collective answer against oppression, and after discussing with a friend he gave me the contact of HU, because he knows me, and that I couldn’t stay like that, without responding by reporting this situation.
So for me the only way to fight this kind of oppression is with organized and collective fight. So here we are…
What measures does this hospitality employment agency take to protect its employees from discrimination, harrassment, etc. Were any measures taken in your case?
I can’t tell. With me, they only gave me money for the train, and asked me if wanted a ticket back home. After that, only silence…
Were you offered accommodation as part of your contract? How has the breach of contract affected your housing situation?
Yes, it was a job offer with accommodation and because of this situation I found myself homeless in a shelter and unemployed, so all my life turned upside down. But luckily, I found help, in Eindhoven, with a very wonderful group of people from the shelter by Leger des Heils (Pilot), that really helped me.
Have you had previous jobs with the same or similar positions, and were there ever any remarks about the quality of your work in those jobs? Did you ever feel discriminated against because of your disability?
I owned my restaurant in Portugal, where I was the cook and the manager, and I did it by myself, with my disability, and never had a single problem in fulfilling my job. Only the economical situation in my country and in general has stopped me.
I always worked in different jobs and always made it, and never left any work with any complaints.
How do you think situations like this can be prevented?
I think that this kind of situations can be prevented with a very big change of mindset, from governments and society, by ending with this stigma that people with disabilities are not part of the active society as all.
So there is still a long path to go, but from my experience no one should never stop denouncing and reporting any kind of discrimination. Because silence is our worst enemy.
What would be the expected outcome of this campaign? How would you measure if it’s successful or not? What does justice mean for you in this situation?
I’m not here for the show!
I’m doing this for the defense of the workers rights and in the end if with this campaign we can protect even only one worker from this kind of crime and harassment, for me it’s already a victory.
How can the readers of this article support you?
I think we should not center the support in me, but in giving more strength to Horeca United, by reporting situations like this, even if some things are scary. And for me the fight was to be collective, because only united we can make changes, and win battles, even if they are small.
So fellow workers join and reinforce the organisations that stand up for your rights, the more united and organized we are the more power we have!
Don’t expect help from organizations that are not made from worker for workers, because we can only count with US, the workers and the oppressed.
“You’ll never silence the Voice of the Voiceless”
– Rage Against the Machine