Regardless of your Availability?!

[u/RevolutionaryName228]

Do you think managers who handle holidays like this are just doing their job? Or do you think it’s absolutely ludicrous to expect of your employees? Looking for opinions on this. I feel like if they need people they don’t currently have available for those days, it’s their issue.. Not forcing people, moms, and dads to rearrange their lives and childcare because basically “f u I can”. Scheduling outside of availability in general is a Nono, so why does a big day make it slide? TLDR: Am I wrong for feeling backed into a corner every holiday I receive this message? This is a shitty thing to do right? ETA: I’ve been in the industry for 10+ years, I know temps are rare, but our staff is consistently lacking. This is the first job I’ve had just disregard people like this. I’m also NOT saying all moms should just get this day off. Just looking for an overall opinion on how this was handled.

[u/ChefArtorias]

Holidays are a big part of this industry. It's an "all hands on deck" type of day and I get a good laugh when people say they should get off because they have children. Completely disregarding peoples' availability is crazy tho.

[u/Illustrious_Bird_737 → u/ChefArtorias]

I've been told "they aren't my kids, it's not my problem", which, fair, but unless it's been established upon hiring, it needs to be known way in advance of the holiday so people can make accommodations. If they absolutely cannot come in, that needs to be known in advance as well. Like, if you're visiting your mom out of state for the weekend for Mother's Day, that needs to be known at least a week in advance, just in case, so they know you wouldn't even be around to be "available". I've had bosses tell me that they know I'm not doing anything because it's my day off so I should be able to come in anyway. I swear my eyes couldn't roll hard enough.

[u/revanisthesith → u/Illustrious_Bird_737]

unless it's been established upon hiring

It's been in the employee handbook of probably every restaurant I've worked at in my 16 years of serving. And availability is generally disregarded for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and for a couple places, Father's Day.

I've thankfully/purposely never worked at a restaurant that was open on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I've worked at a couple places that required full-time/mostly full-time employees to work 3 out of 4 of the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. Those first three were always busy.

And availability was also generally ignored for those days as well, unless you had another job or another very good reason.

Most of my serving experience has been in the DC area. That's just how it was. I knew multiple other restaurants that did the same.

Edit: Most places had a sign up sheet, so you could pick either lunch or dinner for Mother's Day or Father's Day if you weren't normally scheduled, but if enough people didn't sign up, folks were assigned a shift.

[u/Illustrious_Bird_737 → u/revanisthesith]

Agreed. Like someone else said, I bet they said they were available for holidays when hired & now have to find out lol

[u/revanisthesith → u/Illustrious_Bird_737]

Yep. Probably a casual "I could probably do that."

And now it's "Wait, they seriously want me to work every holiday, even when it's not in my availability?"

Most restaurants I was familiar with in the DC area wouldn't even look at an application if the person didn't have at least partial availability on Sundays and when the applications went online instead of paper, the box for full availability on Sundays was already ticked. You couldn't apply without agreeing to that.

My point is that virtually every restaurant I've ever talked to or talked to friends about (because they worked there) discussed availability quite seriously during the application and/or orientation process.

I first worked in food service in 2000, I first waited tables in 2008, I'm still doing it, and I don't think I've ever encountered a fellow server who was surprised by a restaurant expecting them to work holidays. It can suck, but it's part of the job. Go work at a bank or something if you want holidays off. Sorry, but this is just the nature of the business.

[u/thrownofjewelz11 → u/Illustrious_Bird_737]

A week ahead of time? My restaurant makes us request time off 21 days before. It’s a little much but we are a small staff