Chef-Janitor, Chef-HouseKeeper, Chef-Whatever..etc..

[Pastachef]

Shroomgirl you were right about the email My boss gets so much of it that she hadn't even opened it until today. She phoned me in the kitchen and told me that of course I can have Easter Monday off. Of course, the war is on now between the housekeeper and myself. She is going to be livid! She's bugging me to death to buy her a ham for Easter out of my kitchen budget. I keep telling her that the budget is so tight that I just can't do it but she won't shut up about it. At Christmas one vendor brought us each a box of cookies. Good business,etc. Well, when the next vendor came in she informed him that such and such company gave us cookies and that his company should give us something also. I was Sooo embarrassed! Is that not trashy behavior??? She's not indigent or anything. Just greedy.

[W.DeBord]

Shugie you sound like a good natured, nice person but boy if I was you, I would DEFINATELY DISTANCE myself from this women! It's hard to work next to someone and ignore them...but I would just say "um hum" to everything she says and does then walk the other way. Find yourself someone else to invest your freindship in and let work be work with this person.

Don't forget, sometimes we are judged by the company we entertain.

Can't you share and be freinds with other people at similar houses at your school?

This conversataion has caught my attention. I have been in this business for many years and am surprised at what I read here especially from those who are chefs.
The business of maintaining the building, restrooms, lawns and other such things is not that of the cooks. It is the owner who should get off the telephone, roll up his or her sleeves and do these things, if they do not want to hire out. I will not allow anyone who works in my kitchen to clean restrooms or do anything else outside the kitchen if they are handling food. If we have no dishwasher, all cooks will wait till the end of the night. Then, we will all help with dishes and remove trash.
Years ago, I was expected to dust, shampoo rugs, and clean out the rain gutters while my soups were cooking. If I did not finally say no, he would have had me also carry in his dry cleaning! This proves that we are still not seen as true professionals.
This is not about sportsmanship. Everyone being a good sport and pitching in is ridiculous. If cooks call off, I don't expect the office people to come in and peel carrots just because they are there. But I do expect the owner to help if we are very busy! If my cooks and I walk out what is he going to do? Maybe he can call the man who fixes the roof to make the creme brulee. And do any of you know of lawyers or judges who take care of the courthouse building? Owners, do not shame people into doing such work so you can save money. You do it yourself!

[Pastachef]

WDeBord, You sound like SUCH a nice person. I do have friends in other houses, but we're so very busy that we rarely see each other except to borrow or return something. I have my own friends outside of my job too, so friendship is not the issue. I have always seen her as a hard core, bitter person from the start, so I tried to be nice to her. She says I'm the only female friend she's ever had. I guess we ARE friends, sort of. As long as things are going totally her way. She's a terrible nag and so judgemental of everyone. I tried many many times to do the uh-huh thing while rushing around to get my work done. She follows me and before the day is out there is always a confrontation of some kind where she'll ask me what has been wrong with me over the past few days. I seem 'grouchy.' This is because she's used to seeing me clowning around and making everyone laugh. If I'm not entertaining her she takes it as a personal insult. I have found that the only way to stop her in her tracks is to bite on her bait, getting it over with and snapping her head off with the first nasty remark she throws at me. She has a permanent case of PMS. Her own daughter has to do this in order to get along with her. She seems to love putting people on the defensive. I know that she has emotional disorders, but she definitely can get under my skin. And I'm known as a patient person. Alain, I LOVE your post. If it were my choice I wouldn't want my cook to clean bathrooms or enter the kitchen dripping with garbage either. I even change my apron mid-day. I often get down and wallow all over the floor to clean under the various machines, and then go on to cook dinner. In our case it is a matter of them being to stingy to hire enough help. At five I've already worked nine hours without a break or even to sit down once on most days, so I can't wait until the end of the day to wash dishes. That's the cleanest job There IS no end of the day. The kitchen stays open with no staff. The kids cook whatever they want 24/7, sometimes rudely booting me out of the way while I'm cooking a meal. Some houses lock the kitchen after dinner but ours doesn't and won't. I never know when I come in the next morning if a food item has been left out on the counter all night and the housekeeper, through ignorance, has put it back in the refrigerator. She still refuses to believe that you can't always smell bacterial growth even though I've printed info from the net for her. She won't read it. I think there should be more structure and safety rules in these houses. It should be a law! These kids are busy being young, studying and having fun. I realize that, (as the housekeeper says) they are women, (18-23). That doesn't mean that they know everything. As employees we are and should be responsible for their health and well being. The housekeeper is always jumping down my throat because I'm too clean, too fussy, too concerned. I could get away with a lot of things but don't. I tell her it's because I believe in and take pride in what I do. I could never work this hard if I didn't really believe in what I do.

[Nick.Shu]

well then bend her over and then shove a, oops i cant tell that one here.

Getting back to the house director thingy, who hires the house directors (i.e. conducts the interviews et al).?

[Pastachef]

LOL, Nick. The people who hire the house directors are the people we never get to meet or see. They don't live at the houses. They're called advisors and are older women who graduated and will always be sorority members. They are there for the girls and the house directors, but the employees are on their own when there is a busy house director. Often the house directors hold down full time jobs and attend classes, so anything they do for the house director job is usually after the employees leave. There is a lot of 'secrecy' to being a sorority member. They're a tight sisterhood. I asked what our house title meant and was told that even that is a secret I HAVE heard that the advisors really love me, but that's as far as it went. When you work in these houses you become loyal to that particular house in most cases. As I said before, it becomes more than a job. The girls work hard and have to maintain high grades in order to live at the sorority house. They are proud of their house and their help. They make me feel like a member even though I'll never be They gush over the food and the special things I do for them and make me feel important. I don't whine to them because they're too young to begin to perceive the amount of body work that goes in to my job. I'm going to work on some issues with my boss over the summer. She's the bubbliest, sweetest person. We just don't see much of her. Our first boss used to have regular staff meetings that not only helped us to keep things straight, but informed us of upcoming events. As it is now, I could have a dinner for 150 thrown at me the day before the event. Every time we get a new house director, she can come in and totally change what the former one has accomplished. THIS one came in with the idea that we know what we're doing and felt it important that we go about our business as usual and regulate ourselves. I appreciate her confidence in us, but that's how the housekeeper REALLY got out of hand and made all new rules. Some of the seniors last year noticed her lack of work and tried to have her fired. She was to finish out the year and not come back. For the next two months she washed woodwork and walls until her fingers bled. She rushed around through the day like I do every day. They decided to keep her. Now we're back to square one. I think the fact that she's so overbearing that eats my stomach with stress. We used to have a break room. It had two overstuffed chairs in it. She got permission to take one of them home and then claimed the other one as hers. I had to use a folding chair if I wanted to sit down. There were two step stools in the kitchen. One was full sized, and the other one was very low to the ground. She said the full sized one was hers, and that she had brought it from home. I bought myself a new one that was better than hers, (even though I don't get to use it) and guess who was using it to stand on to clean a light fixture the next morning?! If I take a taxi to work she jumps me about the cost. If my son or husband drives me in she begins the questions. "Why isn't so and so working today?" And it goes on and on until I flash her a look of fire! I can't avoid her because she is sitting at my work station eating breakfast! Seriously, she has mental problems.

[holydiver]

Thank you Alain finally another sane voice on here lol. You are totally right if you do not put your foot down you will so get taken advantage of people in this business got to realize this isnt the 1920S anymore. I have a helped a lot on the dish machine but if I do it every night the owner will just send the dishwashers home so they can make more money.

[Pastachef]

When I was growing up I always noticed that in cartoons chefs and cooks were often seen as the bad guys...the angry guys...always chasing someone around with a meat cleaver. There is even a cleaver throwing chef in the video game, 'Home Alone.' Now I know why. LOL!

[Pastachef]

I am very excited! Things are still the same at my job, maybe even worse, but I got a phone call last night from one of my vendors who has a friend in the catering business. He wants me to come to work for them. They promised that the hours and pay are even better, and that there are benefits. I don't have hospitalization at my job at the college. I will be talking to the guy tonight. The job starts next sememster The housekeeper, when I told her said, "But we work so well together."

[W.DeBord]

Pastachef I hope this new job oportunity works out for YOUR happiness, health and pocketbook! You have to take care of yourself!

[Pastachef]

Thank you W .debord. The catering co. is going to call me again as soon as they get their new contracts in writing. Then I can weigh whether or not I would be better off with them At my age the benefits are pretty important.

[shroomgirl]

shug you may consider going into the catering co and working a few days or a week to see if it is what you want to do....when you get a vacation or a break at school or even take a few days off....it may be the best way to decide.

[Pastachef]

I was thinking the same thing, Shroom. These catering companies actually work for the sororities and fraternities, but it may be terribly traumatic for me in going through the 'empty' nest part of leaving my job. Summer break will start in about three weeks, so I may be able to go to the catering company and really look things over. Maybe I'm just going through something at the moment because thirty of my girls are getting ready to graduate. I've tried not to get attached, but it's impossible.

Now this one takes the prize! Going under the heading of Chef-Whatever; A guy who was working as a chef in a private residence, was expected to come in early every day so he could shine the leaves on the potted plants around the indoor pool! When he protested, he was reminded where the door was. Now he works for a corporate restaurant. Sometimes I think a union would be a good idea.

[Pastachef]

Jeni, That is the kind of thing I was complaining about in my job. Isn't that nerve? I'm glad things turned out well for him. I thought that maybe I could learn some new things with the catering company.