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William,

I'd check with a Lawyer that specializes in labor laws in your area. I had some ovetime issues (I was working in IT at the time) for a previous employer and, while there are certain Federal restrictions for IT professionals and overtime, I happened to fall in between those "rules" and won my case.

Also, if the Exec. Chef is not the owner, check with them if that's company policy as well as getting their opinion about your work. Just realize that by using either method, once the Exec. Chef finds out you went over his head or sought councel, things could get worse.

I can't stand employers that have hidden "rules" like that. Especially when a lot of them don't provide a employee hand-guide. However, if they do and it's in writing, then the above advise is null.

Most of the employers I worked for would send you home for a day without pay instead of docking pay for hours already worked.

Good luck.

I'm not sure I understand. You say you get $14/hr, and the chef is penalizing you one day of work each week. Has your shift has been cut by one day (ie. you work 4 days instead of 5), or are you working 5 days and being paid for 4??

If you feel you being wronged, why not approach the owner to discuss the situation?

I've managed many employees over the years. 99% of the time a negative review or criticism was given to an employee they felt I was wrong or being difficult. Rarely do people take performance assessments and use it to change things for the better.

Uh, if you see a lawyer, the only thing he will do is inform you of his rates. Fahgettabout them guys.

Your employer will give you the run down. Sounds like the Exec doesn't want to give you a raise, probably to keep his labour cost in line.

You say that you feel yourself better (knowledgeable, faster, etc,) than the Exec. Chef. How? Does he know? Again, how? You might not like him, or get along with him, but he is your boss, and as you now know, is in charge of scheduling and has an effect on your life.

Something to think about.

The old schedule tricks,eh?

Good Day,William.

I've seen it done so many times it isn't even funny [as punishment and as a way to just get rid of someone without actually firing them]. I only had it done to me once after I put in my two-week notice and lo and behold,my name was still on the schedule,but no hours were posted for my last two weeks.I just started my new job a little earlier...ha ha!

My state is a "Right to hire,right to work" state.An employer [any employer,not just our profession] can fire you for any reason and an employee can leave for any reason without notice.It's kind of a safety clause to protect employers against bogus lawsuits.

Just get another job,because getting caught up in skirmishes like that will drain you.So much of our profession is frustrating;change the things you have the power to change.

I agree...let your feet do the talking...If you are doing the job that you are satisfied with and proud to call yours..then it doesnt matter what your Exec. says...and if he/she doesnt like that work then you are not on the same page. but there are other places that have different pages. It does sound that there is a hidden agenda but dont waste your time trying to figure it out or trying to please. your not going to...like I said let your feet do the talking.

my sympathies

I had something similar happen to me in the Pastry Kitchens. I was hired as a P/T, as I only had Fri, Sat, and Sun off from school. The Pastry Chef left and they placed the SUSHI chef who had Pastry experience in charge of the kitchen till they found a Pastry Chef.

I started to work in one of the MOST ELITE communities in Florida, the Pastry Kitchen was located in a converted Mansion that housed the restaurant. Our Kitchen was the size of a walk in closet.

I ended up working like 75 hours a week! Even though I told the chef that I couldn't work early mornings she scheduled me to be in between 7/8 am sometimes at 6 am.

We wouldn't leave till 12 or 1 am!

She insisted on making dessert dishes from her country, when people just wanted comfort things like Coconut custard pies..which she made with rum flavored whipped cream folded into raw, shredded coconut in a graham crust..( my reaction was WTF??)

I was hired because of my skills as a cake decorator, they were trying to keep the event cakes in house, rather pay me an hourly wage, than a vendor thousands for an event cake. Ok, I understood that, but my chef, I think she didn't like that.

The final straw was all the kitchen politics..she wouldn't allow us to eat, no breaks only work from the time we got there till the time we BEGGED to go home.

She decided to call in sick one day and it was so funny, we managed to make the days products and the cheesecakes, we worked so well together and the kitchen felt so much lighter. ( she was surprised when she got back, obviously thought we'd fall apart if she wasn't there )

One morning I get to work at 8 am, find the kitchen locked, NO ONE HAD THE KEYS to the kitchen, Chef couldn't be found anywhere, one girl doesn't show up and another one that chef had decided to fire because she went home for the holidays instead of working came in.

She not only insulted me for not having the days products ready, but, in going over her head in calling in the girl to work.

again..WTF? I was supposed to run that kitchen by myself? Tell the girl.."GO HOME, Chef fired you...but you didn't know anything about that?" Now THAT would've been overstepping my authority!

I finally had enough of her crazy, moody behavior and threw my apron down and was going to walk away, when she started to scream at me about unprofessionalism. I guess she was channeling Chef Ramsey from ****'S KITCHEN?

SO, off to the Executive Chef we go, nothing really resolved, I apologized...decided to continue my work. I call in for my hours the next week, Pastry Chef...never calls back, never answers the phone...I never got to go back to that kitchen.

Leaving message after message, after about the 5th call, I decided to "give up the ghost" Talk about unprofessionalism! I deduced that I was fired just like the other girl.

Then I find out Excecutive Chef and Crazy Pastry Chef are "housemates" they were a couple.

I didn't have a chance in Hades to get him to see MY side of the crazy comedy.

That's when I decided that I should just open my own place.

You want craziness? Been with the same company for 3 years and have only gone from $10/hour to $11/hour while my workload has at least tripled. We've gone through 3 chefs, 3 managers, 2 directors, and 5 kitchen staff. Of everyone there, I'm the youngest, the only other 1 with schooling other then the chef, and have called in the fewest days off for whatever reason (holiday, sick days, etc.)...in fact, I had to work some of those days off.

For the whole month of July, chef took off for vacation to spend some time with his newborn so the kitchen was mine to run. Now during the summer, hours are reduced and 2/3 of the staff are laid off since the school runs only a few small summer programs but we're usually busy with caterings. But on top of all that, major restructuring is being done during this month. We've switched linen suppliers, intense cleaning and reorganizing of the kitchen, updating prices and items on our inventory which is computerized and the chef dosn't even know how to use a computer. So many small and big projects, the chef's job as well as my responsibilities added up to no extra pay or hours so I stood at 5x the workload and getting less pay since hours were reduced. Effed up or what?

totally "F'ed" up! I'd be "FED UP". But, I find if you love the work, we sometimes put up with a lot.

I'm willing to work ( with my experience ) for grunt pay and grunt hours if I COULD get in.

No one want's to hire me!! they fell that with my experience 7-8.50 an hour is an insult and big hotels don't need event cakes...sigh.

Man, I can do it!! I have the heart of a LIONESS! don't need the money, I just need to get my foot in the door!!!!!!

they are trying to get rid of you. is what it sounds like. look for another job. its not worth it to work for someone sneaky and shifty like that. .... OR.... you could work ten hours a day. show them what slowing down really looks like. then, you'll be making your 40hrs a week... until they just come out and fire you. !! life sucks sometimes.

WOW, sucks to be you! I'd be the one to tell the pastry chef to get her head out of her *** and give your hours back. There are labour laws that may solve your issue. Check them out.
I have occasionally used the hours thing to discipline. Most employees realize after they are sent home what the mistake was and are quite understanding when they return to work. I have never cut someone's hours regularly to make a point. One day is okay, but weekly is abuse. Just my opinion though...

Don't have to, opened my own Custom cake shop. pfffffffft on them. This is a Pastry Chef that was interm, she was the sushi chef, but had pastry experience...

she kept on wasting time in the kitchen...one day, when we were busy she was making Tawainese desserts...NOT FOR THIS CROWD!

Then for Thanksgiving she spent the better part of a day making a Bread Turkey, and believe me...she seemed to be struggling with it too! I mean, a WHOLE freaking day?

LOL, oh wait...maybe you're not talking to me....haha