Working when ill???? Oh man

[Nick.Shu]

you must admit, the worst thing to cope with has to be a industrial accident.

Some things that dont really rock are:

Knifey's (3 or more stitches)
Chemical Burns - grill cleaners or any other
alkaline cleaners
Work related dermatitis - never fun
Burns - especially caramel/sugar burns or
microwave steam burns
Seafood spike infections - hard to shake

and this is just on the job stuff.

[shroomgirl]

Nick.shu I can always count on you to come up with graphically descriptive responses!
amazing! Whether it's kitchen boo-boos or
gross foods you can make me wince.
And I'm glad I've only experienced 4 out of 6 on your list.

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited September 19, 2000).]

[Nicko]

I think we could all probably write a novel on this topic. I to was a die hard, and there is just something about the business that calls you to an unspoken loyalty to your chef and the kitchen. In all honesty I think I have only called in sick once in all my years in the kitchen (over 12 years). Even when I was in culinary school I got a perfect attendance award for never missing a day of class in two years. In those 12+ years I have:

• burned my face with hot grease.
• had hot boiling oil spill on to my wrist from a roasting pan. Nasty burn, the paremedics had to come for that one. Still finished out the night.
• had hundreds and hundreds of cuts all of which were simply bandaged and I kept working.
• had many 16 hour work days with only 5 hours sleep.

Boy the lists can go on and on can't they? It doesn't suprise me though, dedication is key in the business and you can spot a cook who doesn't have it a mile away.

------------------
Thanks,

Nicko
nicko@cheftalk.com

Lets see...
I have cut myself needing stitches and returned to finish the night.
Worked with a broken foot.
Worked with my back out to the point I could not stand up straight.
And many less serious injuries.

[Nick.Shu]

i once worked for a chef who went on sick leave for about 8-9 weeks and ran his business for him as well as going to school.

Heh, he told me he wasnt feeling well and i said "if you go over during service, i'll push you under the stove and check on you later!".

One thing that has occured to me, does anyone get those little oil spit burns on their eyes, they seem to get me quite often.

Very irritating and makes me wonder if it causes any permanent damage.

[UniChef]

One time I had a 15 year old girl come to work for me in the kitchen. She had been a busser in the FOH and said she was interested in learning cooking. She worked for me for about 4 months. I had her in the pantry one night and walked in and she was sitting on a pickle bucket in the corner. I told her to get back to work, get the place cleaned up so we could all go home.

The next day I found out she had a baby that night. She was sitting down on the bucket because she was having labor pains! Imagine how I felt recalling how I told her to get back to work.

No one knew she was pregnant. She was trying to hide it from her parents. The reason she wanted to come into the kitchen was so that she could wear a baggy jacket and cover her stomach. She thought she was just going to go to the hospital, have the baby, and leave it up for adoption whithout anyone knowing.

Happy ending- she kept the baby, kept the boyfriend, and her parents didn't disown her.

-Mike

[shroomgirl]

woooooo ignorance is bliss I guess, I cannot even concieve (excuse the pun) of laboring in a restaurant kitchen....I can't believe there were not horrific screams coming from the walkin. I guess at 15 you would rather hide than face the wrath.
Some of my farmers have horrific stories too, but that is another sight.

[pleddy]

While my injuries have been very few in this, the early part of my culinary career, I do have a good story I heard from my CUL 101 teacher...

She was teaching us about the importance of using the proper equipment and she told us a story of when she was working on the line at the Ritz Carlton.

A cook next to her was making a demi glace in a roasting pan. Well, the cook was lifting the roasting pan out of the oven and it became uneven and yes, the demi escaped...onto my teachers pants.

Obviously, the pants started clinging to her skin and the burning started to happen...My teacher started running through the kitchen screaming and tearing her pants off. She added here that she was 20 years younger and 20 pounds lighter so she was "a babe" running half naked through the kitchen.

A very smart cook in the salad station saw what was happening and quick got some ice and put it on her skin. His quick thinking probably prevented some serious 2nd or 3rd degree burns. She said that she sat in the bathroom and thought about the 300 covers for the evening and the fact that they were 1/2 hour away from service and she told someone that she didn't think she could make it for the evening.

The chef, her mentor, sent a double shot of cognac back to her and said 'drink this and get back to work.'

She did, and she said the cognac was great.

I hope I never top that story.

Paul

22 posts and only 2 addressed the heart of the issue...IF YOU'RE SICK, STAY HOME AND RECOUP.

Couple of years ago my sous chef came in coughing and sneezing. "Oh, it's just a little head cold," she said. Yeah right...the kind that takes 5 months to work it's way around 25 employees...not to mention the cutomers who PAID for the privlidge of contamination.

Being in a jam for 1 or 2 days beats the heck out of a lawsuit.

As for the Budweiser Brigade with their port-o-poddies on the line...one word "DISMISSED"

Cheers,
TopChef

[Greg]

In my opinion, if someone comes to work with a "self-induced illness" (hangover), they are at least showing accountability for their own mistake, not making the rest of the crew work harder by calling in sick. If it's a regular occurance, different story. We do not and cannot dismiss someone for being sick as a result of something they did on their own time anymore than if they had merely caught a cold from somebody. To do that would surely invite a lawsuit.Here's two more words: lighten up

[Katherine]

We had a guy working for our group who we all knew partied all the time. On the occasions he showed up well, he could do really good work, but showing up on time was the rare exception. He would call in sick the same day every week for a while, show up hungover and steal aspirin from my locker. He had no idea he was taking lots more time off than anyone else, either. The boss, who is nonconfrontational, put up with it far too long, hoping that with a little guidance he would straighten out. I'm sure if he were reading this he would not recognize himself.
If you have an employee like this, the first time you warn them you need to have handy a chart showing them how many days they've been taking off or coming in late, what is going to be expected of them, and the consequences if they don't shape up. Then, don't give them a chance to backslide, stick to your guns. Letting them get away with this stuff isn't doing them any favors, and it's demoralizing for the rest of the staff, too.

[shroomgirl]

Quality of work is important to me....self-induced impairment is very different than accidental. If you can work with your hangover and do quality/quantity of work I have no qualms....lighten up Greg...this is my business and livelihood for my children, if I have poor product I have no business.
So tell my creditors and clients lighten up.

Originally posted by Greg:
We do not and cannot dismiss someone for being sick as a result of something they did on their own time anymore than if they had merely caught a cold from somebody. To do that would surely invite a lawsuit...

<el snippo>

Greg, I didn't say I'd summarily fire anyone; dismissed was the word. I'll be danged if I'm going to watch, listen and smell someone spew chunks for 9 hours or so 'cause they didn't have the brains to comprehend the after effect of an all nighter party session.

The guy's a hero cuz he comes into work blasted? Not in my book. Save the rave for a day off.

I'm lighter now

Cheers, TopChef

[Greg]

If by "dismissed", you mean sent home for the day, then I agree with you; I think all of us have an idea of the environment we like to work in. Of course, this differs from chef to chef.
To clarify another point, I don't think of anybody as a hero for coming in hungover; my point was that they are at least being responsible enough to not make others pay for their mistake. I would also prefer that they would comprehend the after effects before the fact If they're still drunk, productive or not, they go home.

Originally posted by Greg:
If by "dismissed", you mean sent home for the day, then I agree with you.

That's what I meant. We're sipmatico

Cheers,
TopChef