The Australian Restaurant and Cafes Association (Arca) has urged restaurant staff affected by allegations of harassment, discrimination or unsafe workplaces to come forward following the resignation of board member Anton Forte.

Forte, the chief executive of the renowned bar and restaurant group Swillhouse, resigned from Arca after the Sydney Morning Herald published an investigation alleging sexual assault and harassment against staff at the group’s venues. Forte was not accused of wrongdoing.

Wes Lambert, Arca’s chief executive, told Guardian Australia: “Forte has resigned from the board and that is a permanent situation at the moment.”

Lambert said, according to the Herald reports, that “the industry has rallied behind our response – which is zero tolerance.”

“We encourage anyone who has been affected since the news became known to contact the relevant authorities,” he said.

When asked what impact recent changes to the Sex Discrimination Act – which requires businesses to prevent sexual discrimination and harassment – ​​had had on the hospitality industry, Lambert said they had been “welcomed”.

“Ultimately, the overwhelming majority of the industry is doing the right thing and welcomes changes to the law. We will come together as an industry to ensure workplaces are safe for employees.”

He said Arca was providing resources to ensure a safe working environment for all restaurants and cafes across Australia and to ensure these businesses complied with relevant laws.

“Ultimately, we never tolerate sexual harassment, discrimination or unsafe workplaces across the industry,” he said.

In a statement to the Herald, the Swillhouse Group said: “We are pained and sorry that there have been instances where some of our employees have felt unsupported, unheard or at risk. Over the past few years, Swillhouse has made concerted efforts to better support the wellbeing of our workforce and create a more inclusive and safe workplace.”

Gourmet Traveller, a leading Australian food industry magazine, has decided to remove Swillhouse’s Hubert, the multi-award-winning French restaurant in Sydney’s CBD, from its annual restaurant guide following serious allegations made by the Sydney Morning Herald.

In a statement, Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin wrote: “This is not the first time we have taken such action. Over the last five years, several establishments have been removed from our guide and other Gourmet Traveler reporting amid concerns that they may not meet our standards for ethical conduct in the workplace.”

“The print edition of the magazine has already been published and features Restaurant Hubert in the NSW Top 25 list,” Hunkin wrote. “However, it will be removed from all digital editions of the guide.”

Gourmet Traveller declined to comment further to Guardian Australia.

Next month, Australia’s Sexual Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, in partnership with food and wine advocacy group Women and Revolution, will conduct a face-to-face hearing with hospitality professionals in Sydney as part of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Speaking from Experience project.

“The consultations focus on workers who are most likely to be targeted by perpetrators but are often not included in policies, research and resources on sexual harassment in the workplace,” an AHRC spokesperson said. “These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally and racially marginalized communities, LGBTIQ+ workers, people with disability, young workers and other marginalized groups.”

Guardian Australia has contacted Swillhouse for comment.