Creative ways to give your chef a raise!

[treehugger057]

So after talking to the owners bout a much needed raise. They come to me with a plan. I can wash dishes on the slow nights for an extra 70 a night! They also offered a 5% pay increase!

What do u think about this?

Me I think already did my dish duty! So that whole idea is just a scratch. I will take the 5%. I am not content with this amount and they know this. Thus the chance to wash dishes! I am grateful in a way that they like my help enough to get creative on ways to help me make a little more money! I guess if money ever got that tight I could do the dishes but I think I would just adjust my budget before I started doing dishes again! I know I have enough dishes to get through service, but what a mountain I would have when service was over and my line was cleaned down.

peace of my week
tyler

 

[just jim]

LOL, that's too funny.

They seem a little tight with the money, but this may work for you...
Determine what it costs in labor to run your kitchen.
Factor in any expected overtime, banquets, etc.
(looking at your numbers for last year would be a good idea).
Then add your personal 5% increase to that.
Tell them that you will run your department for that much, and anything you don't spend on staff wages, you keep.
In other words, if you cut someone out because it's slow, you will make their remaining wage on top of your own.
If someone doesn't show up for their shift, and you muscle through it (as you would of course), you now earn a little more that day.
I've seen this work before.
You will also have incentive to keep your labor lower, which is a good practice to have as second nature as you continue your career.

 

[fryguy]

sounds like a good offer to me considering the times we are in ....I just got a notice in my last check that there is going to be a pay freeze.....I.m fairly happy with the total package i have now and as long as they continue to fully cover insurance i'm good

 

[gunnar]

Maybe you could ask how much extra if you just haul out the trash?

 

[chefrobin]

We have all done our fair share of washing dishes. But.....how much exactly is your 5% increase? Sometimes it can only be a few dollars extra a paycheck. Weigh that against the 70 you can get in addition to that. Is that more or less than the 70? Even once a week would add an additional 280 a month to your pocket. Thats an insurance payment, goodies that you wouldn't ordinarily buy at the store, dinner out at a nice place, cushion against the time that the restaurant closes down and you have to look for another job. I don't know how much that 5% would be for you, but the chance to make some extra money, and have an additional 5%, and show the employees that the chef is willing to buck up and do his share isn't a bad thing either. Maybe they would be willing to help out a little more, if they see the chef going above and beyond the call of regular duty.

Don't ask anyone to anything you wouldn't be willing to do yourself.

 

[just jim]

That part stands out.
While I get where you're coming from, and I don't particularly enjoy doing dishes, I'll jump in when needed.
Seventy bucks a night?
I could keep basically caught up and bang out the dishes in 2-3 hours after the shift if needed. That's 23 - 35 bucks an hour to do dishes, not exactly chicken scratch.

 

[pete]

I'd be thrilled with the owner's offering $70 a night to add washing dishes, not a lot of owners would do that. Many places I worked if it was slow and a dishwasher got sent home then everyone pitched in to get the job done, because we never left without the kitchen being clean.

As for the 5% pay increase. Be thankful for that, in this economy. There are plenty of people out there losing jobs and taking pay cuts. Even in a good economy 5% is a good raise if it is just a yearly raise not associated with a promotion. In general I expect a raise of 3-6% a year, unless I have also gotten a promotion.

 

[treehugger057]

I should note that I take out trash wash dishes clean down the line! Their is no task in my kitchen that I avoid! I sweep floors and mop! I am simply trying to avoid being in a position to do everything by myself! I only have one cook left at this point! She really spends more time cleaning rooms at the lodge then actually cooking! So I already do all the prep and run the grill and saute stations by myself! If I did dishes too! I would have to stop n the middle of service to wash out my own saute pans, and so on and so forth! The point is I am already streched thin! If I have to choose between making a little more money or having someone to help w the dishes during service! I will take the help, money is not worth my sanity.

Really I dont want anyone to have the wrong impression! I am not too good to wash dishes! I am not good enough! I am not good enough to run the line and keep up the dishes! Well maybe I could for a while but I enjoy my job and dont want to be burnt out!

peace of my thoughts
tyler

 

[treehugger057]

Jim I like theway you think! That is good money my friend!

 

[treehugger057]

You are very right! I am very grateful they have really worked hard to figure out a way to help me out! I put my heart and soul into my work and they know it!

 

[fryguy]

thats all anyone could ask for......the owners are lucky to have someone with such dedication.......take the 5% and keep the dishwasher.... save your sanity

 

[chefrobin]

Do what you think is best for you, and only you can make that decision. I do commend the owners for giving you the option and the 5% raise. Some owners would have just made the decision for you, to take over the extra duties and due to the economy not given you a raise. That says alot about you as a chef and an employee that they value and obviously depend on.

 

[pembroke]

when I was young and green I asked for a bonus based upon my FC, my boss was happy to pay this on the condition that my wages would be reduced if FC raised; I politely declined her offer and never raised the subject again!