Managers vs Employees

In my food service experience I find that a lot of times establishments can become a battle of managers vs employees.  I believe it usually comes from changes in management.  When you have a management staff who is relaxed on some of the rules, then you change over the management staff and try to lay down the law so to speak the employees tend to rebel.  Sometimes this happens when one manager leaves and a new one is brought in to fill the position.  The battle can also arise when there is an inconsistency in counseling employees. 
     I find that the younger staff members tend to test management more often than older staff members.  The younger employees are there to make a few dollars and don't really have much responsibility.  Where as the older staff members are trying to support families or to make a living.  A lot of the younger staff tend to have the attitude of i don't care I'll just get another job.  These are the staff members that will try to tell you what they will and will not do.  The flip side of this is with the older staff who have been with the company for a long time and think they know better than management because they may have been there longer.
     Some of these types of employees can be counseled and become very productive good employees.  While others are like poison to the rest of the staff and get others to follow them creating a bad environment.  These types of people challenge management at every turn until they quit or get fired.  Some of them will straighten out after counseling just long enough until you have to start the counseling process over again.  This makes them very difficult to get rid off unless they do something that gives you cause for immediate termination.
    The best thing to avoid the managers vs employees situation is that management needs to be consistent  and all on the same page.  Management also has to treat the employees with respect as well

      

The Holiday Season Is Here

The holiday season is here which is one of the busiest times of the year for restaurants and food service establishments. Many of us like to open those holiday cook books to prepare are own holiday treats for family and  friends.  However many companies will be planning holiday parties for their staff and many other private holiday parties will be planned as well.
      This is one of the busiest times of  the year.  Not only are food service establishments preparing for holiday parties they also have to contend with the day to day business as well.  More people are out and about this time of the year shopping as well as dining.
      This is a good time of the year to be working in the food service industry.  There are plenty of extra hours prepping and planning for the holiday events. There is also a lot of money to be made by restaurants and food service establishments.
       These events can be small office parties to large and extravagant events where it seems like money is no object.  Some companies will bring in interior decorators, live bands, snow machines, and spare no expense on food.  Events can take anywhere from a month to a week to plan.
       This can also be the funnest time of the year.  We get to step away from the day to day food production and create the food for these events.  It may be creating the delectable holiday desserts or putting together a beautiful holiday show piece or creating the mouth watering foods to impress our guests.  This is a time when we get to test or sharpen our skills.