Restaurant workers

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Replies

  • sara3rose
    sara3rose Posts: 3 Member
    Clearly the vast majority of people don't understand how the service industry works ...

    I also work in a restaurant. I am a bartender, and my shifts start at 4 p.m. I am unable to eat during my entire shift because I am constantly "on show" to all of my guests, which means I go for about eight hours without eating anything at all (on a good night I can be done by around midnight). So I feel your pain, girl.

    My BEST advice for you is to just try your absolute best to try to eat on your way to work, and have a protein bar or something waiting for you in your car for when you leave. Unfortunately, having a set eating schedule does not work for people with our schedules, and you're just going to have to work around it. If you're eating bread throughout your shift to get you by, just be VERY conscious of exactly how much you're eating. Limit yourself to just a couple of pieces, but only eat small bits at a time and really think about whether or not you are actually hungry / it just sounds yummy / you're bored. A lot of mental effort is going to have to come into play for you!

    In summary, limit your bread intake and really pay attention to how much you're eating. Eat on your way to work, and have something waiting for you when you leave. That's all I've really got ... hope that helps!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,426 Member
    And I took a french fry off of every plate.

    Thanks, this totally made me laugh. I worked at Fridays for 13 years. I think everyone does that. At one point we got "fined" a quarter if we got caught. But, managers are three and we were 15.....odds were you could eat a lot of fries in a shift.

    OP, those are some odd rules.....and there has to be something you can eat from the kitchen. Cheese and some turkey slices? An apple and cheese? An egg fake McMuffin? You have to eat. Not eating isn't the answer.
  • makkman
    makkman Posts: 212
    U have been there awhile now. Can u talk with management about providing an inexpensive alternative such as a salad?
  • etb23
    etb23 Posts: 7
    A food court. At a mall. Which isn't healthy in the least. I'm not given breaks during my shift, so I couldn't leave to go find food half way through.

    The sandwich could contaminate food, fall into other people's plates, and then there's the issue of food stuck in my teeth, guests seeing me eat the sandwich, no where to store it, etc.

    By law they HAVE to give you breaks depending on the amount of hours you work. If you are wotking 30-40 hours you should be given 2 15 min breaks and a lunch.... I'd look for another location to work

    Depends on the state. I know here where I live, breaks are not mandatory. I work 8+ hour shifts. But some companies abide by different state laws and so they will give breaks.

    "Arizona does not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks
    to employees, thus the federal rule applies. The federal rule does not require an employer
    to provide either a meal (lunch) period or breaks." http://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/State/Arizona.html
  • Charmed285
    Charmed285 Posts: 189 Member
    To answer questions: I swear this is not all any sort of bull. Admittedly I work for an extremely strict company, but they're willing to allow me prepackaged snacks because I have a doctors note.

    We aren't supposed to leave to go to our cars at any point in time during our shift. My shifts are anywhere from 3 hours, to 8. It depends on business and the shift given to me. It's hard to eat before or after because I often arrive for work at 4 and then get home at 9:30. I get hungry in the middle of my shift and don't want to eat a huge meal so late at night.

    This job pays mildly well, but I'm graduate at the beginning of December, so I don't want to find a new job, train, and wait to be given good shifts. By then I'll graduate, and move to Phoenix for my new job in January, making the whole situation pointless.

    I work in fast food too and I can't mention the name since the company or bosses made the crew sign a contract not to post anything about them on any social or public forums or we can get fired. we aren't allowed to eat either and a most times we don't get breaks even if we work 8 hours or more. some people sneak food but if *some* people are caught we get written up, or the manager makes us clock out for the day so we can't continue working but no one has been fired for it YET but it could happen. according to my boss if your're not in high school they are NOT required to give breaks by law. we are allowed to drink though but only tea if it's from the fast food place unless we bring our on.
  • dmwells3
    dmwells3 Posts: 42 Member
    A food court. At a mall. Which isn't healthy in the least. I'm not given breaks during my shift, so I couldn't leave to go find food half way through.

    The sandwich could contaminate food, fall into other people's plates, and then there's the issue of food stuck in my teeth, guests seeing me eat the sandwich, no where to store it, etc.

    By law they HAVE to give you breaks depending on the amount of hours you work. If you are wotking 30-40 hours you should be given 2 15 min breaks and a lunch.... I'd look for another location to work

    In my state, employers do not have to give you a break or lunch for an eight hour shift. Not all state labor laws are the same. I agree with bringing a pre packaged protien drink and having that at work. The only other thing you cou can do is find another job.
  • AllyDelair
    AllyDelair Posts: 91 Member
    I work at a restaurant as well. its not a fast food restaurant so idk how much help this is but i have a good relationship with all of my co workers and they make me wraps and stuff for lunch that are "healthy" so that i dont have to eat their delicious-but-fattening homeade fries, crazy burgers, and what not. even stuff that isnt on the menu they still allow me to eat. is there anything that you guys have back in the kitchen that you could make yourself to eat that is "healthy?" an example of what i eat is turkey, lettuce, tomato, and a little bit of mayo on a whole wheat wrap. that isnt on our menu but they will still make if for me if i ask them too.

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