Labour shortages in the restaurant industry

TastyReuben

TastyReuben

Nosh 'n' Splosh
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[Mod. edit: This post and following few moved to form a new topic (MG)]

Windigo said:
Well I am glad it was tasty, but I would never return after that experience even with a staff shortage 😮
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Sadly, that's how it is now, at least here, so you'd be hard-pressed to find a place much better. It's the norm now, more often than not.

I find it falls into two camps: service is slow because they're short-staffed or service is slow because they're hiring anyone who can breath right now, so you get:

"Hi, uh....can I um...take your order?"
"Hi, yeah, I'd like two eggs over easy, please, hash browns fried crisp, a side of bacon, rye toast, and a small orange juice, thanks."
"Uh...two...um, eggs? How do you, you know, what them, like, fried or cooked or whatever?"

:scratchhead:
 
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Windigo said:
Well I am glad it was tasty, but I would never return after that experience even with a staff shortage 😮
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The US is facing a big labor shortage right now. Restaurant wait staff and kitchen staff are one of the worst industries for the shortage. You just have to roll with it for a while.
 
caseydog said:
The US is facing a big labor shortage right now. Restaurant wait staff and kitchen staff are one of the worst industries for the shortage. You just have to roll with it for a while.
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Yep, and I'm not even complaining about it, here or in the restaurants, just more making it a point of conversation here.

Matter of fact, the waitress yesterday got a very good tip, because watching her (WH kitchens are wide open so you can see everything), she was busting her rear end trying to take money, bus tables, clean tables, wait tables, make toast, and keep the syrup containers full, the creamer bowls full, that sort of thing. She was doing everything but the cooking, and she was smiling and cheerful the whole time.

There's no way I could have pulled that off. I'd have been cheerful at 7AM, at the start of my shift, but by 7:30AM, I'd have been telling people to sit down and STFU already, you'll get it when you get it! :laugh:
 
caseydog said:
The US is facing a big labor shortage right now. Restaurant wait staff and kitchen staff are one of the worst industries for the shortage. You just have to roll with it for a while.
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I don't mind slow service due to lack of staff, but do mind repeated errors. That's the difference. The labor shortage is here too.
 
TastyReuben said:
Yep, and I'm not even complaining about it, here or in the restaurants, just more making it a point of conversation here.

Matter of fact, the waitress yesterday got a very good tip, because watching her (WH kitchens are wide open so you can see everything), she was busting her rear end trying to take money, bus tables, clean tables, wait tables, make toast, and keep the syrup containers full, the creamer bowls full, that sort of thing. She was doing everything but the cooking, and she was smiling and cheerful the whole time.

There's no way I could have pulled that off. I'd have been cheerful at 7AM, at the start of my shift, but by 7:30AM, I'd have been telling people to sit down and STFU already, you'll get it when you get it! :laugh:
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OK, but that's quite relevant and changes the story to a whole other perspective!
 
It's the same here in Cowboyville Arizona ... no help!
Every place you see has sings up, "help wanted", etc.
And it's not just in food service, it's in all businesses!
I don't get it, is it that all of a sudden towns in America have been over run with new shops opening up?
Not that I noticed... it's the same places but no workers.
WHY?
 
kaneohegirlinaz said:
And it's not just in food service, it's in all businesses!
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I’ve noticed the same thing in retail. We were at a department store this weekend, and they had one register open, where they normally would have four.

Not only that, but clothes were strewn all about, and the fitting area, clothes that had been tried on but not returned to the racks were piled head-high.

I was chatting with the young woman working in the fitting area and she said they didn’t have nearly the people they used to have, and it was all she could do to keep her head barely above water with restocking and all that.

kaneohegirlinaz said:
WHY?
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I’m no expert, but the little I’ve read is that there’s no one reason, but several.

There are less people in the workforce right now, because a lot of people took early retirement or were forced out during covid and have decided to live off savings until SS kicks in.

Also, some people saved a lot more and have a cushion and aren’t in a hurry to return to work.

Another reason, and one I completely understand - food service here have been underpaying and overworking their employees for decades and decades, and then covid hit, restaurants closed or severely cut back, and some of those workers are in no hurry to return to a $2.75/hr plus tips job where they’re expected to work 12-hour shifts for days on end and one day off a week, and retail isn’t much better.
 
TastyReuben said:
I’ve noticed the same thing in retail. We were at a department store this weekend, and they had one register open, where they normally would have four.

Not only that, but clothes were strewn all about, and the fitting area, clothes that had been tried on but not returned to the racks were piled head-high.

I was chatting with the young woman working in the fitting area and she said they didn’t have nearly the people they used to have, and it was all she could do to keep her head barely above water with restocking and all that.


I’m no expert, but the little I’ve read is that there’s no one reason, but several.

There are less people in the workforce right now, because a lot of people took early retirement or were forced out during covid and have decided to live off savings until SS kicks in.

Also, some people saved a lot more and have a cushion and aren’t in a hurry to return to work.

Another reason, and one I completely understand - food service here have been underpaying and overworking their employees for decades and decades, and then covid hit, restaurants closed or severely cut back, and some of those workers are in no hurry to return to a $2.75/hr plus tips job where they’re expected to work 12-hour shifts for days on end and one day off a week, and retail isn’t much better.
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Plus, unemployment in the US currently sits at 3.6 percent. That's about as low as it gets. That also means workers have choices, and employers need to up their wages.

CD
 
garlichead said:
That can't be right TR. Wow.
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I’m afraid it is. Tipped workers here, depending on the state, aren’t eligible for the standard minimum wage:

87990
 
what has been omitted:
the employer pays the maximum tip credit wage.
if the tipped employee does not get enough tips to meet the full minimum Federal or State wage for the hours worked, the employer must pay all additional so the employee gets the full minimum wage.

places that eliminated tipping "in order to provide a living wage and benefits" rather rapidly lost their best waitstaff - and it wasn't because the were making more money on the "living wage" plan.
most places that eliminated tipping have later reversed their policies.
 
CookieMonster said:
what has been omitted:
the employer pays the maximum tip credit wage.
if the tipped employee does not get enough tips to meet the full minimum Federal or State wage for the hours worked, the employer must pay all additional so the employee gets the full minimum wage.

places that eliminated tipping "in order to provide a living wage and benefits" rather rapidly lost their best waitstaff - and it wasn't because the were making more money on the "living wage" plan.
most places that eliminated tipping have later reversed their policies.
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Well, many people in food service decided to leave the industry during covid, when they were expected to work their butts off for little money. They haven't come back.

Bottom line, with low unemployment, people have choices, and they are not lining up to wait tables.

CD
 
But I'm even seeing a labor shortage in places like the Supermarkets :scratchhead:
To me, it doesn't seem to be exclusively in Food Service.
And yes, there seems to be many factors involved here.
For example, Independent Truckers. They are changing their career choices due to the cost of diesel fuel.
My sister's husband is making very little in profit, because he is receiving the same amount of duel reimbursement even though the cost has risen.
 
TastyReuben said:
I’m afraid it is. Tipped workers here, depending on the state, aren’t eligible for the standard minimum wage:

View attachment 87990
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It hasn't changed much since I was in my early 20s working in restaurants and bars while going to school. Minimum server wage back then was $2.13 per hour. Of course with tips I was raking it in (resort town in NW Florida). In the summer, that is. During the winter it gets a little chilly in the panhandle of Florida and people tend to vacation further south. But I digress.

I think a lot of people would rather have a steadier job position where they can count on the income and perhaps get benefits, especially health benefits.
 
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