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"Shift Pay"

post #1 of 9
4/25/05 at 9:43pm
Thread Starter 
I was asked to interview today with a local rest. group for a sous chef position, in their newly launched (high end) catering division (Keep your fingers crossed ya'll).
Anyway in talking with the Chef, he informed me that if hired I would be on a shift pay system....he explained that I would receive a flat rate per day pay, i.e....$120.00 per pay no matter if I worked 4 hours or 16 hours. This amount could go up, depending on my work ethic, yadda yadda, and with bennies beginning 90 days after hire date
Anyway, my questions are:
1. Has anyone heard of this before? If so, any pros or cons outside of the obvious.
2. What is the benefit to the employer for me to be on a shift pay rate, rather than a salaried employee? I thought it was benefits until he mentioned the 90 day benefit kick in...BTW employer pays 80% and I would pay 20. Does that sound fair/standard?
-I did ask if this would be for a specified amount of time/when would I be eligible for being a salaried employee. He said that he wasn’t sure yet, since this was a new venture….he couldn’t say. (I know this would all usually send up red flags with me; however the group owns 2 major rest. concepts in town, it isn’t a fly by night organization, they have had a long term presence in Charleston, or I would head for the hills.)

As always, thanks in advance for your help!
Think good thoughts for me...I go in to work/feel the place out on May 10th.
Frizbee
Do what you do with passion....the rest will fall into place..
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  ~Rev. Run
Our Lives are not in the laps of gods, but in  the laps of our cooks.
  ~Lin Yutang
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post #2 of 9
4/28/05 at 2:58am
shift pay sounds a bit dodgy to me. but from what i have heared its not that good cause you could work 16hrs one week then the next be doing nothing and not get payed. we do it over here but we call it zero hours and we use the ppl when we need them. but at the end of the day its down to you. any way hope this is some help to you and good luck. :)
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post #3 of 9
4/28/05 at 4:53am
Forget it. Besides being borderline illegal, the reason it's offered to you is because it works out better for the company.

Get paid for every hour you work.
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post #4 of 9
4/28/05 at 7:14am
I would take it.

If it proves out to not be worth it, then I'd just move on.
It's a peculiar arrangement for sure, and perhaps not legal depending on where you are.

But on jobs where i was salaried, one benefit id that a none or ten hour day with no time pressures was easier than eight and being overloaded.

Just be sure to keep a logbook of your hours so you can make an accurate judgement, or have data to use to push for a raise. If you are bing worked consistently to excess, you will know it.

Owners and GM's sometimes use and abuse salaried labor to avoid hiring adeqaute staff. Be careful of that.

That guaranteed wage can be nice during the times when bookings are slack.
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post #5 of 9
4/28/05 at 11:29am
Shift pay is easy for us caterers to keep payroll,when we have 20-30 people running around for an event, but as said before it does benefit Me (The Company) more than the employee.

First thing you have to decide is what are you worth, remember if you work a 16 hour day thats $7.50 an hour, if your doing that 3-4 times a week may not be worth it to you. I'd see what the average day is for them and the average week and make sure you are hitting the Per hour mark that you feel your time and expertise is worth.

I would bet 10-16 hour Shifts are more likely than 4-5 hour Shifts.

Good Luck
Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks. Chef Rob
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post #6 of 9
4/29/05 at 1:03pm
I dunno.
I worked as a banquet chef for a major hotel chain. Sometimes I'd work 16+ hrs a day doing up to 6 or more banquets. During the silly seasons we'd do banquets 7 days a week.
Since the position was salaried, if it was a slow time I'd still have to come. The companies work ethic was 6 days a week for salaried management employees.
Like the man said, try it. If you don't fell adequately compensated, well your not married to it. Leave under good terms and you can't loose. You gain experience and another pip for your resume'.
Of course when I got out $120 a day was considerable pay. And benefits, what are those?
britt
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post #7 of 9
4/29/05 at 7:49pm
Man I've heard of some crazy things when it comes to paying associates. I once consulted for a caterer that didn't pay overtime, but would take the overtime hours worked and pay them back durring slow times at regular rate. Talk about dancing around the ethics. Honestly, and I know that it takes money to live, but the opportunity you have to step in and go through an opening in a leadership capacity will be priceless to your resume and development. Not to mention you are going to work with a company who has already established there is a need for a catering dept. (i.e. no waiting for sales people to ground pound and make cold calls) So, this might be hard, look at it for the experience. Not to mention, if catering is new to this company you have a good opportunity to show off and be the superstar. the downside - They are going to get there money's worth. When you're slow catering......count on being in the restaurant. Good Luck Chief.
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post #8 of 9
4/30/05 at 9:55am
If it's for the Peninsula Grill and Hanks guys, or The Elliott Group, I would jump on it. Great work enviroment. I did shift pay in NYC. If I worked a double I got paid for 2 shifts. If I worked a shift at one rest. and then a partial shift at another(same ownership) I got paid for 2. It benefits both in actuality. Yes, you will work some 16 hour days, especially during busy seasons, but you will have some 4-5 hour days too.
I'm a glorified babysitter...........Yippeeee!!!!!!!
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post #9 of 9
4/30/05 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for your help!
It is actually a catering company…so that makes sense I guess.
The opportunity is really great, and someone mentioned that it will play well on my resume…I agree wholeheartedly. In consideration of that fact alone, I am willing to work for a tiny bit less (most rest. management positions I have been interviewing for have been front of the house with the pay scale quoted at $32-37,000-this $120. per day works out to be 31,200, and I am going to ask for $140 per day any thoughts?) and harder…so that it becomes a bankable experience.
Oh for chefATL…it’s for the rue de jean group, they also own coast here in town.
I have to go in and work a couple of days to see how we fit together on May 10th. I will be working in the sous chef capacity. Any advice on how to maximize the first couple of days? It is a small catering staff (only about 4-5 people working in the kitchen) and one chef de cuisine above me. It will be my very first sous chef spot. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
BTW…when I interviewed with the Chef de Cuisine…it turns out that may old roommate and she worked together previously, and they have a great rapport. I of course called my friend, and told her to call and put in the good word, which she did…so it looks great for me to get the job. I am so excited, and I will keep you updated…don’t want to count those chickens too soon!
Thanks again,
Frizbee

P.S. chefATL I don’t think that there is any hour limit on what is defined as a “shift” or at least it didn’t sound like it to me with the exec. chef. So I think the double factor doesn’t apply here, unfortunately.
Do what you do with passion....the rest will fall into place..
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  ~Rev. Run
Our Lives are not in the laps of gods, but in  the laps of our cooks.
  ~Lin Yutang
Reply
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