Whether it’s a café or a restaurant, many of us don’t want to work in this industry. For reasons. But maybe the restaurant industry will recover if these things change.
What we constantly hear from those affected has now been confirmed by a new study commissioned by the Food-Pleasure-Gaststätten union (NGG) and the Hans Böckler Foundation. The catering industry is doing worse than ever. Hardly anyone wants to work in service and a third of those currently employed want to leave the industry.
More on the subject: 13 Gastro Tweets That Make People Earn Tips
“Historic low” in the number of employees in the catering industry
A “preliminary peak” in the growing number of employees was reached in the pre-Corona year of 2019, it says study. At that time, almost 2.3 million people were employed in the hospitality industry. However, in 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic, the number of total employees in the hospitality industry fell to a historic low of 1.9 and 1.8 million, respectively.
Since then, the catering industry, which was hit harder by the pandemic and the associated restrictions “like hardly any other industry”, has not recovered. The business model, which relies on numerous part-time and seasonal employees, no longer works with 100,000 fewer employees than before 2020.
BuzzFeed News Germany thought about what things need to change in the catering industry so that people want to work in this industry again.
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1. Mandatory tipping
The hospitality industry is a real back-breaking job and many employees live mainly from tips, despite the introduction of the Minimum wage, which is set to rise again next year. However, it is still common to work “black” and therefore there is no entitlement to a minimum wage. Most people are simply happy if their wages are paid at all. In addition, if you count no or very little tips in your wallet at the end of the shift, you will also give little or nothing to the kitchen, which is also unfair.
We all know: the quality of service is responsible for whether guests have a good time in the restaurant, and that is what people should pay for.
More on the topic: 20 guests reveal how much they (don’t) tip in the restaurant and why
2. No sexism
The slap on the bottom – from colleagues, superiors or guests, you know it. And sometimes it doesn’t “just” stay that way. Unfortunately. In general, this should not happen, and if it does happen, there should be an opportunity for employees to report such incidents, including an appropriate response. This could be a warning (for example from the innkeeper to the person responsible) or even a report to the police.
3. Regulated and moderate working hours including breaks
Anyone who has ever worked in the catering industry knows: the shift is only over when all the guests have left and the store looks the same as before. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for employees to work ten-hour shifts (or more!) or for the early shift to follow the late shift.
4. Gratitude
And from all sides. Some guests are really difficult, as these 22 complaints show. Nevertheless, as a service person you have to nod, smile and carry on. The tone in the catering industry is also quite rough, so it is not uncommon for superiors and other employees to be quite rude to each other. A little more gratitude from everyone involved would make this job a lot more bearable.
5. More safety for employees
However, some guests are not only difficult but also dangerous, especially if there is a lot of alcohol involved. More safety for employees is an absolute must, especially for women.
More on the subject: 13 restaurant employees tell us about the worst guests they have ever served
6. Free meals for staff
It’s hard to believe, but some innkeepers actually charge their staff for what they consume during their shift or deduct it directly from their salaries. Being able to eat and drink as much as you want and need to stay fit should actually be a given.
7. Good music while working
Please.
#appetite #gastronomy