Pilot study published by the Center on Policy Initiatives and San Diego State University uncovers wage theft, discrimination, and break violations among restaurants in San Diego County.
“Overwhelming numbers of restaurant workers reported they had been cheated out of money they were owed in wages and tips, as well as their break time.”
Professor Jill Esbenshade, quoted above, is the principle investigator of recently published study Shorted: Wage Theft, Time Theft and Discrimination in San Diego County Restaurant Jobs, which includes results from a survey of 337 employees working in more than 160 distinct dining establishments in San Diego County, as well as 30 in-depth interviews and observational data collected at 40 top local restaurants.
The findings reveal disturbing numbers of labor laws violations and other exploitive workplace practices at restaurants of all kinds, from fast food to fine dining:
More than 75% of employees surveyed reported that their employers had illegally shorted them on wages or tips during the past year.
25% of respondents said that wage theft is a regular part of their jobs.
84% reported violations of rights to meal breaks and rest breaks, and 23% said restaurant managers made them falsely record unpaid meal breaks although having worked through the break.
Wage theft was found to most oftentarget women, Latinos, and back-of-house staff.
This study’s findings replicate what has been reported in other studies conducted throughout the country; the violation of employee rights is far too commonplace in the restaurant industry and warrant further exploration as well as the development of policy solutions.
If you’re one of the many that has laid their heart on the line for a date with their server only to be shot down, fear not because those days are dead and gone. Here to assist in romancing your service industry crush are a few guiding principles, that if followed will earn you some serious consideration.
Same Rules Apply
Would you ignore someone you’re planning on asking out? What about making demands before getting a name? And throwing down insults about their work?
Hopefully the answer is no (and if it’s yes, it’s time to re-evaluate your game in general). Well, surprise! The same courting rules that apply to the general public also go for your server, host, bartender, etc. because we’re people too! So avoid the brush off, any version of “get me” especially without saying please and thank you, and any insinuation that we’re not doing our jobs to the utmost of our abilities. Basically, mind your manners and treat us how you’d like to be treated, or else you’re just digging your own grave in the dating department.
For most, this goes without saying, but better safe than sorry. Pet names are generally not appreciated, even if we put up a good front about their use. Neither is gawking, catcalling, and definitely not copping a feel.
Now you may not even be aware that you’re guilty of a few of these no-no’s, because let’s face it, sometimes when we’re not trying to be on our best behavior, things slip through the cracks. So, to counteract a few of the misses, don’t pass up an opportunity to show your appreciation of the work we’re doing so that you can enjoy yourself. Basically, do your best to be respectful because just that goes a long way.
If You’re Interested, Act Like It
Working in the service industry, specifically in the front of house, means that we literally serve others all day long. As far as dialogue, there’s very little in the way of engaging conversation. So it’s quite refreshing when we’re asked questions that go beyond the drink menu, perhaps even venturing outside of life at work, and getting a chance to actively participate in an exchange. Not only does this clue us in to your attraction, but may also ignite one of our own!
A word of caution: even if a conversation is going well, don’t guilt trip us if and when we have to attend to our other customers. It is our livelihood, after all. Instead, graciously let us go and leave us wanting more!
Love Don’t Cost A Thing
Sure, a big tip is always appreciated, but be careful about throwing around your money, credit cards included. Attempting to impress with the promise of cash bonuses is in most cases considered solicitation and, excluding special circumstances, is no way to gain affection, literal and otherwise. Even dressed up with promises of tomorrow, all you’ll get for tooting your own horn is payback. And you know what they say about payback…
Impress us with the immaterial, like your great sense of humor, infectious laugh, or even your total lack of coordination (sometimes it’s cute!).
Take A Hint
If your attempts at wooing go wayward, and even a bat can see that there’s no future (at least for the moment), then bow out with style. Don’t skimp on the gratuity, make a scene, or talk trash because no one wants to date a sore loser and, who knows, there may be a chance at redemption next time.
Know more secrets about charming your server (or any service industry employee for that matter)? Let us know here, or @gosirvo.
The universal sign for work- coffee. Be it physical, formal, collaborative, or leisurely, there is coffee to be consumed, often multiple times per day and on occasion free of charge. Even electing a new pope requires the diverse drink, The reason why? Well, energy of course! Actually, while this is the most commonly associated by-product of coffee-drinking, there are other reasons why more than 400 billion cups are consumed each year.
Surprise! Coffee keeps you alert. Caffeine, the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world, is a stimulant. It blocks the adenosine receptors in the brain, which lets the neurotransmitters like epinephrine and dopamine that are associated with alertness run wild. There are many studies showing that ingesting caffeine helps workers perform better, especially if they’re working when their circadian clocks say they should be sleeping. Researchers studying night-shift workers found coffee is effective in counteracting any “sleepy effect,” and caffeinated shift workers made fewer errors than their decaffeinated colleagues.
Coffee eases the pain of working at a desk. There’s a reason why computer programmers are so wired: Consuming caffeine has been found to ease pain in the neck, shoulders, forearms, and wrists that are often experienced by those of us who are chained to our keyboards.
Coffee is a social lubricant. Researchers from MIT found that employees who take coffee breaks together are more productive. The study tracked a group of workers in a call center and found that when coffee breaks were scheduled so that co-workers could take them at the same time, their performance improved.
Even without the coffee, coffee shops are good places to work. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research explored the effects noise has on creativity. They found that a low to moderate level of ambient sound, like the one found in your favorite coffee shop working spot, improves creativity. A tech startup in Virginia developed Coffitivity, a coffee shop noise simulator.
Coffee may be a life saver, especially for older workers. The US National Institutes of Health found a link between coffee-drinking and lower risks of death. People in their 50s and 60s who drink three or more cups of coffee a day have a 10% lower risk of death compared to those who don’t don’t drink coffee at all.
It even works with decaf. The same NIH study found that removing caffeine didn’t change coffee’s life-extending aura. This article originally appeared on Qz.com.
Why do you drink coffee? Let us know here, or @gosirvo.com.
In fact, the service industry recorded the strongest sales volume on record in December 2014, as well as the eighth consecutive monthly increase, totalling $49.6 billion on a seasonally-adjusted basis.
The fast casual dining experience is all about blending the speedy service you need to fit the demands of your hectic schedule and the delicious food your stomach is loudly demanding, and these two restaurants are using technology to reach the perfect balance.
Wow Bao, a Chicago-based restaurant serving up Asian fare with a modern twist, introduced kiosk ordering in 2009 in order to speed up the ordering process without increasing labor costs, according to Wow Bao President Geoff Alexander. An added bonus- customers love the control the kiosks afford them when ordering dishes. Plus, staff doesn’t have to worry about making mistakes when entering orders. Truly a win, win!Although Alexander agrees that technology comes with its own set of problems, such as occasional minor malfunctions and the rare crash. However, the tech investment has most definitely paid off for the franchise as Wow Bao received its return in only eight months because of increased sales as well as labor savings.
Panera Bread is a popular name in the world of fast casual, and to continue its reign, plus beat out mounting competition, CEO Ron Shaich says “Panera Bread will be different in the future.”Welcome to ‘Panera 2.0’, a series of integrated technologies aimed to reduce wait times, improve order accuracy, and create a more personalized experience for the customer. The upgrade will include the integration of a mobile app for ordering and paying for food to go, as well as a designated counter for pick up without the wait.For dine-in customers, both kiosks (similar to Wow Bao) and an online ordering system will be available in addition to cashier stations, both of which will be able to remember your food preferences. The days of picking onions off of your sandwich are nearing an end! Plus, meals will be delivered directly to your table for added convenience.For now, only designated ‘Panera 2.0 Cafés’ will feature the 2.0 technology, however the company expects to have implemented the upgrade in the majority of its locations by 2017.
What are your thoughts about the growing presence of technology in the restaurant industry? Comment below, or let us know @gosirvo.
