Cutting Hours

[whitepnoi]

I understand we are all on hard times but this is my first experience navigating these tough waters.

Here is a little background, this retirement home is for-profit, Census is low about 65% which amounts to 70/110 residents.

I am asked to maintain an weekly budget of 284hrs per week.

I have already taken 1-2 shifts from each of my staff and reduced hours on 2 previous occasions.

We have just opened our dining rooms which has created more labor than your normal room service.

I dont think i can afford to layoff a cook or dishwasher... I am easily pushing 50+ hrs weeks.

All my FT staff cannot exceed 32hrs, I have a Sous Chef,PM Cook,2 dishwashers, Dining Room Supervisor, Lead Server & 7 servers to work.

This facility has 4 buildings and 4 separate dining rooms each meal period.

The morning servers come in and cook breakfast and serve/deliver in 2 separate dining rooms for higher acuity.

Lunch and dinner demand a minimum of 1 server in each dining room and usually i float around and help everyone with closing duties.

In between serving i am in the kitchen helping as much as possible.

Sorry this is long winded but i am willing myself to keep this place going on such a lean crew... But at the same time i cannot keep looking at my hard working staff and reduce hours which kills moral.

I understand at the end of the day this is a business so its hard when you know everyone has something on the line.

Solution: Scheduling tips? Duty consolidation, Combining dining rooms? Should i sell myself short and reduce my salary to keep from losing a cook/dishwasher? Let me know thanks

 

[foodpump]

110 residents and four dining rooms?

My thoughts are that mngmt/ owners are just fishing, see how far they can push you. That’s just crazy, insisting on four dining rooms and yet cut back on staff. if they want the security/luxury of separating the residents into four smaller groups, then there has to be cost to it. I have no idea how you can negotiate, other than asking for an increased food budget since your staff budget has been lowered

My other thought is that 50 hrs/ week is pretty typical of mngmt.,matter of fact most chefs, including myself would sit up and beg for only 50 hrs/ week.

 

[Seoul Food]

Yeah four dining rooms seems a bit much, especially if you aren't operating at full capacity. I would just frame it as a safety thing, especially with your population and Covid-19. Explain that you can cut hours, but it will be at the cost of safety to the staff and residents as you will not be able to maintain standards and sanitation with lower labor pools and that you would have to communicate this to the staff and paying residents. See how they handle being exposed as being more concerned about profits than they health of the people they are housing.

I would at the very least consolidate some rooms if you have to but a lot depends on what regulations you have to follow and the sizes of these places.