Restaurant Manager Staff Relations Q&A
Staff relations is a difficult subject to master. After all, people come to your business with a unique set of skills, experiences and personality. This is what makes your restaurant tick. If everyone had the same skillset and same attributes, your guests may be left wishing for something more. Still, there are issues that come up in dealing with staff members. Below are some common questions about staff relations and how to deal with them. Please note that these are very general and you should consider consulting with an HR or law professional before taking action since the circumstances surrounding your business may be different.
My server felt uncomfortable serving a guest because they were hitting on them!
Question: A guest had been leering at an employee all throughout service and kept saying inappropriate things to the server every time they came by the table. The guest even reached out to touch the server’s arm, which made the server very uncomfortable. The employee went to their manager to say they are not comfortable serving the table. The manager told the employee to shake it off and work it to get a better tip. The server continued with the dinner service but was very uncomfortable. The guest left happy but the employee was mortified by the experience. They even called out from their next shift! What should have been done differently? It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.
Answer: As an employer, you are required to protect your employees from harassment, not only fellow staff members and managers but also from vendors, guests and anyone the restaurant is doing business with. Failure to do this can result in disgruntled employees or worse, an employment action for harassment. Your manager should have addressed the employees concern and should have followed your company policy in dealing with such interactions. For instance, it may be company policy for the manager to let the guest know that it is the restaurant’s policy that guests should not touch or say inappropriate things to an employee. If the guest refuses to change their actions, they can be politely asked to leave. Protecting your employees from harassment is important and increases staff morale.
A Key Partner in the Restaurant was extremely rude to an employee
Question: There is a new server on the job and she has been doing an excellent job. Guests love her. Last week though, she had an incident with the Chef-Partner and now she is considering quitting. Apparently, a guest complained about their steak not being cooked to the requested temperature of medium. The server dutifully brought it back to the kitchen and the Chef-Partner told the server she doesn’t know what she is talking about and the guest just doesn’t know what medium temperature is. She server politely requested that he re-fire the steak. Begrudgingly, he made the steak and when he handed it to her told her to get a clue. The server is very upset about this interaction. How should we handle this?
Answer: Supporting your staff is very important. The server was only trying to provide the guests with a good experience and felt chastised for doing so. This could also potentially be seen as bullying, which should be prohibited in your restaurant by a formal policy. The Chef-Partner should be trained on anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and anti-bullying. Following these policies not only protects your business, but also increases staff morale. Good employees can be a challenge to come by and it is worth the effort to address these types of issues if and when they happen.
Late Employees are so frustrating!
Question: It is the fourth day in a row that my sous chef has shown up late. She didn’t even say anything this time, not even an acknowledgement that she was late, just tied on her apron, washed her hands and got to work. Even though we were able to complete prep on time with her lateness, it added undo stress to other team members because they had to help her complete her tasks. I don’t want to cause an issue with her because she does great work and hiring someone new would be really difficult but I need her to show up on time. What should I do?
Answer: You should have a conversation with your employee about expectations. You should document this conversation by sending something like an email follow up saying “thank you for taking the time to discuss the importance of being on time today. As discussed, it is important to the flow of the shift that you arrive on time. Continued lateness can result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. We appreciate you being a team player and committing to showing up on time for each shift.” If the employee continues to be late, you should document and potentially present performance improvement plan documents, which the employee should sign. You also have the right to terminate the employee for continued lateness. You should not let your team be pulled down by one employee who is not meeting expectations. This can create bad employee morale. But be sure to execute policies consistently with all employees.
KEY TAKE -AWAYS
Staff relations are key components to the success of your restaurant. Managing issues as they come up creates a more cohesive team environment and increases staff morale. For many staff issues, especially if you are inexperienced, it is best to refer to an HR professional or lawyer to ensure that the action you take is the best for your business.
*The information contained in this article is designed only to give general information. It is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of recent developments in the law, treat exhaustively the subjects covered, provide legal advice, or render a legal opinion. Vine Solutions and their employees are not attorneys and are not responsible for any legal advice. To fully understand how this or any legal or compliance information affects your unique situation, you should check with a qualified attorney.