drinks for staff??

[sucrechef]

Every place I have worked had strict policies that there was NO drinking of anything other than water or soda while on the job. And many places I have worked prohibited any staff member from drinking alcohol at that location when you weren't working and even on your days off.

[bluedogz]

NowIamone: A bit later when I made my round through the dining room two tables commented about the drinks coming back out of the kitchen, they noticed.

If I were a staffer of any level, that would have scared the bejeezus out of me. Who else noticed and didn't say anything?

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by boosehound

i thought this was a dead thread! haha. anyway. im not at that establishment anymore. havent been for i dont know.... 6 months.
" I let my drinking do the talking" - Humphry Bogart

Hound- LOL LOL well since we are off duty.... I'll buy you the next round LOL ps. Glad to hear you found a new job!

[fadeaway]

drinking isnt unprofessional. all the chefs tell me they've NEVER done a wine tasting at work. its unprofessional when u become unprofessional, which, differs with everyone. like the other 12 people have already said. its all about the moderation.

[the_seraphim]

i had one chef drink during service, i took off my apron walked out onto the floor and said to my manager hes drinking, im not risking my health for his pleasure...

needless to say we were one chef down for a while

[jimmyb.]

Boozehound: with your detailed explanation of covers, kitchen etc. it sounds like you're rationalizing (trying to justify the drinking). Drinking on the job is drinking on the job. I'm guessing that your bartender is also drinking during the shift and is looking for others to join in to avoid guilt in doing so. Bartenders have the second highest rate of alcoholism of all professions (police officer is number 1.), and cook/chef usually comes in third. Just because we work with and sell booze doesn't mean we have to drink it every day. Would you let your kid's school teacher crack a cold one an hour before the end of the day, or if you went to your bank just before closing and the tellers were doing shots, would that instill confidence in thier integrity and professionalism?

Don't get me wrong. I like my drink (I'm a single-malt guy myself), but allowing staff to drink while on the clock is bad for business (and I'm guessing not being recorded on your liquor inventory). Where's the owner?

In my over 30 years in this business I have worked for more houses that do not allow a shift drink than do. As a rule I do not allow staff a shift drink, nor to drink when off the clock if in uniform. I will, on occasion "buy" a drink for the crew when we've worked hard and/or been really busy. And yes, I know it's happening when I don't close the restaurant, but I know that it's a minimal occurance because I terminate employmees if they're caught drinking. I have had a few bartenders quit because I wouldn't let them drink (including doing shots with customers), but in every incident they were mediocre workers at best and were just looking for free drinks. I have never had a server or cook quit for not giving shift drinks. Most often, they respect the professionalism.

Jimmy B.

[cookie jim]

boozehound,I am a alcholic and only you can decide.To submit students to this practice is unconceable.I hope you don't have to hit botton before the truth hits you in the butt.Serving 300 dinners a day I was still able to get to 2 meetings a day of AA. Good luck to you in your short career,McDonalds is waiting for this kind of mind set.Lots-O Luck.....cookie

[cookie jim]

I wonder if booze could lower your imune system...hmmm

[boosehound]

wow, i got to tell you that is all amazing sh*t. realy. especially the part about me and my short carear and something about mcdonalds waiting for this kind of mind set...... i havent been to mcdonalds in a very very long time. a realy long time. but from what ive heard and been told they dont have a bar. so drinking there whilst working wouldnt work cookie man. besides i dont drink on the job. i left that job for bigger better things(as my former chef put it) drinking at my new job would only result in me looking for a job. unless of course my owner got me a drink once i was done. you know that you are right only i can decide if im an alcoholic. and the servey says.......... nope. so hey thats great you get to do 300 dinners a day and....... and go to 2 meatings a day. so you must be superman or something because honestly were i have worked in recent yrs doing 300 dinners myself would result in ending up in the hospital, due to the heat and other factors. but hey more power to you cookie man.

jimmy b. you know ive been a lot of places and i have to tell you. i realy could care less what people do. they are going to do what they do and almost nothing is going to stop them.

at the end of the day almost everyone will abuse something. a good drink or ten.... others its drugs of sorts. for some it is the bible and AA meatings. i say to each his own. and me drinking my little 200ml of scotch when i get home somehow makes me a bad guy. get off it.

[boosehound]

o ya cookie man yes excessive drinking can leed to a shi**y immune system. but did you know moderate drinking is good for you? probably not because your a teetotaler.

[AtlTournant]

I've been at many places where there are after shift drinks and some where the staff drinks openly during service.I don't care what people do off the clock,but drinking on the clock [to me] is a no-no.
One establishment I worked at,drinking was the nightly thing.The owners thought of the bar as their personal party every night for all their rich friends and sometimes they would be totally trashed in the dining room during dinner [in front of customers].It was appalling.
There's a reason why alcoholism is called "Chef's disease".

[cookie jim]

No boozehound I'm not a teetotaler.I know what happenes to me after the first drink.I'm glad I got your attention but I appolige for the McD crack.I'm 58 and my cooking days were many years ago.What set me off is you sounded exactly like me when I was your age.Booze definatly affected my performance over the years.I was what is known as a FUNTIONAL alcholic.My wish for You is a great career.To thine own self be true is a saying in AA.They are anything but bible thumpers but one drunk helping another one day at a time.Have a wounderful life....cookie