i don’t understand why people do this…your employees are the back bone of your company. It is so important for me to keep my employees happy. I do pay some of my staff minimum wage, that’s $10 a hour here in Chicago. But I also make sure they are happy, I challenge them with competitions. they get special shift meals and treats. And I keep is a relaxed (sometimes too relaxed) family work environment.
We aren’t a very busy restaurant, a lots of my front of house staff spends their time sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. and I’m not making a lot of money here but I would never think of cheating my staff out of what they are owed. lets face it they aren’t here to out of the kindness of their hearts or because they want to see me profit more out of the business, although i’d bet most of them would step up if asked for some help, they have mouths to feed and bills to pay. most of them live paycheck to paycheck
recently I’ve heard 2 stories of business taking advantage of their employees and it makes me sick. These places are doing well relay well. The owners greed is blinding one guy had bakers working 7 days a week 12 hours a day and he was paying his workers a flat 40 hours at minimum wage. not just withholding overtime pay…he wasn’t paying them at all. luckily he also got that knock on his door from the Department of Labor.
the other story hit closer to home and makes me way more upset…I recently found out a restaurant I frequent quit a bit doesn’t compensate as well as I assumed…they aren’t doing anything illegal, tipped minimum wage is 5.45… but to pay rockstar employees that really make your place what it is less that the regular minimum wage it really disappointing. These girls do everything for this place, they go to the restaurant depot, they clean floor to ceiling, they give customer service like I have never seen before. and the place does amazing business. They have been on tv a few times, they are written about all the time, recently they were voted as one of the best restaurants in the entire US in their category. Yet they pay peanuts…I know they make great profit…the prices are high, portions are small…the line is out the door some nights…
Maybe I’m just bitter cuz I pay my front of house staff much more; while they have business coming out of their ears and I have to fight tooth and nail for every dollar I make. Le Sigh…venting complete. back to work I go.
