Staffing Needs

I’ve written before about the unconventional hours of a restaurant manager.  However, it’s important to realize that you’re not the only one working them.  During the peak hours, your servers, bartenders and line cooks are working their hardest as well.  The difference usually lies in the desire to be there.  If you are a manager, you care about your restaurant; you made it to that point because you’re invested in the company (not necessarily financially) and you want to see it succeed.  Like I said before, most foodservice employees are only there because they either are working towards some other career, or because they messed up so much in their lifetime they can’t work anywhere else.   So every once in a while, when they are financially comfortable, your employees are going to want some of that peak time off.  And before you know it, the holiday season will arrive, and your most dedicated employees will wonder why they all can’t have the holiday off.

Spreading the holiday cheer…

                Depending on who makes up your staff, you may or may not encounter this problem every weekend.  If you’re lucky, you’ll have people who are either so eager to make money, or who couldn’t care less about their lack of a social life.  If your crew consists of some of these people, then you’re in luck- those Friday and Saturday night shifts will be filled, most of the time.  However, even these employees will be looking for some time off- and let me tell you, it’s going to be at the same time.

                No one wants to work a holiday.  Whether or not they are “religious” or even know what the holiday is all about, they want off because that’s what’s “supposed” to happen on that day.  If the banks are closed, they are mentally checking out of working that day.  Again, if you’re lucky, you will have employees who give you notice far enough in advanced that you can fairly schedule who will work what holiday.  But if you’re in the typical situation, the employee who NEEDS off the most is the one who gives you the least amount of notice.  And they’re not going to ask nicely either.

                Call it tough love or just being fair, but sometimes you just have to say no.  Employees can’t get everything they want.  A request off is just that – a request.  I would love to give everyone their ideal schedule every week, but it’s impossible.  So your best bet is to come up with a scheduling system before the requests start coming in.  Make it mandatory to sign up for one or more holidays, with the stipulation that if you work one, you get another off.  Is it a perfect system? No.  But for every person who never wants to work a weekend or a holiday, you will have another who cares more about the money than the family/friends/TV time, and will show up early to help you set up for the night.