Why Chefs work long hours? Foodservice vs other career paths

Chefs, by definition (at least IMHO), are MANAGERS, not laborers nor foremen.

In my nearly 50 years of employment, about 45 in management, I frequently put in 60, 70, even 80 and 90 hours per week when the job called for it. My pay was not based on the hours but what got accomplished.

Chefs, again IMHO, are paid to see to it that the job gets accomplished, primarily through the efforts laborers that put in 40 hours per week, and the chef better have a damned good explanation for any overtime that gets paid!

If you want 40 hours per week, find a corporate cook job or paper pusher.

I used to work those kind of hours; not anymore. I found that by sticking to my guns, and recruiting the best possible talent I coul & having absolute faith in them. . Being more organized in my planning and time usage. Having set standardized recipes & plating specs. All of these have  gained me a lot more free time. However: that being said, there are those times when it is essential that I put in extra time...this I do out of genuine love and care about my product & presentation.

It's is an Art that takes alot love and attention.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chefross 

 

"who decided that it is ok to work the chefs these hours, why it is not normal for most other professions to work more then 40 hours, and it is expected that chefs are to work more than 40 hours in the culinary industry?"

 

Anybody have any idea why this is?

During my 45+ years of "working life", a large majority of the successful professionals I have observed, i.e. lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, scientists, CEOs, CFOs, and others, put in far more than 40 hours per week. Conversely, a large majority of trades workers, i.e. mechanics, electricians, plumbers, bookkeepers, clerks, teachers, typists (do they still exist?), carpenters, assembly line workers,etc., rarely work more than 40 hours per week.

Perhaps it is a result of labor laws, i.e. overtime rules, etc.? BTW, were you aware that "overtime rules" were put in place to encourage hiring more workers rather than increasing pay to individual workers?

Yes, chefs work far more hours than anyone else in the BOH, but chefs are the only "professionals" in the BOH, the rest are "trades workers".
 

I worked in Aspen Co. for three years at a successful catering business. We closed down 6 weeks in the spring and 6 weeks in the fall.

But, I worked 9am to 9pm+ every single day in the summer months. I never thought, at the time, that the hours were too long, since I loved the art of the work. I did mostly small dinner parties in high end mansions. We specialized in selling a 5 course sit-down dinner party with tray-pass hors and cordials. We occasionally did buffets also . Myself and another chef, we averaged about 10 to 15 of these little $1K to $2K gigs a week along with other drop-off food business.

At that catering job I designed the menus, ordered the food, received the food, prepped the food, loaded the equipment and food in the truck, drove the truck, unloaded at the site, executed the event,managed both FOH and BOH, loaded the equipment back in the truck, drove it back to the shop, unloaded the truck and then washed all the equipment.

Short of selling the gigs, I did all the work, this under the anticipation of owning that company because the owner was about 3 or 4 years to retirement and he was telling me that "I was the one"... the one that would inherit his company, become the owner when he retires.

Well, I never got the oportunity to take over that business, the owner just kept on going.

I worked my ass off, and I am no hack. We did awsome food and events. I can walk into any home and cater any level to the highest of anyone's expectations. But what did I get out of working for that guy? yes maybee some good memories and a great learning experience. But really,

I've got arthritis in my lower back and hips and cervical spinal stenosis.... All related to the hard back breaking work of catering.

As for the guy I worked for, he finally retired very wealthy, and sold his company to a competitor

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleverchef 

In addition to my comments, I would like to say that a good chef with great management skills doesn't have to work ungodly hours.

But also, He or she needs to be supported by the establishment with the proper number of staff, so he or she able manage their time, not to get burned out!

.

Ahh-nope.

First we have an issue here with the word "Chef", it's all over the place,  from a guy who's managing a hotel brigade, to a "student Chef"

So, for arguement's sake, let's just define the word "Chef" as someone who's responsible for the profitable running of the kitchen.

O.K. so a Chef is management, and management get paid a salary, not hourly wages.  Most Chef's negotiate a wage  that also takes into account the food cost and to some extent, the labour cost.  If the Chef  only wants to work 50 hours or less, he beter have some management to back him up, but doing this will raise his labour costr tothe extent that it might get him kicked out.  If the Chef is clever  and lucky, and takes full advantage of the catering facilities, the pastry kitchen, etc. he can geneerate enough income to keep everything above water and only work a minimu of 50 hrs per week.

But that's kind of like trying to arrange all the noodles in a bowl of soup to all point norht/southn at one time..

It can be done, but you have to invest  alot more than 50 hrs per week to get to that stage.

If and when you do get to that stage, the owner sells the place because you are making good money for it, or gets stupid and greedy and turfs you and hires one of your juniors or some snot-nose out of culinary school with absolulety no mangement experience at  a much lower salary and a far greater workload.

And there you have it.

That whole post you wrote could also be used to describe an aspiring musician.

Don't know where this thread is going.

The industry sucks big time becasue there are no standards in place.  Heck, in some of your States, the waiters even get paid a lower than minimum wage.

I don't navel gaze and whine.

I've been cooking since '82, and I've worked for myself since '96. Instead of dealing with jerk FnB's or owners, I deal with jerk customers. I also deal with pleasant, respectful customers most of the time.

Cooking is a trade, a Chef runs a business.  My business philosophy is to find a niche, make something unique, charge a fair price, and work the crap hours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken 

During my 45+ years of "working life", a large majority of the successful professionals I have observed, i.e. lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, scientists, CEOs, CFOs, and others, put in far more than 40 hours per week. Conversely, a large majority of trades workers, i.e. mechanics, electricians, plumbers, bookkeepers, clerks, teachers, typists (do they still exist?), carpenters, assembly line workers,etc., rarely work more than 40 hours per week.

 

Perhaps it is a result of labor laws, i.e. overtime rules, etc.? BTW, were you aware that "overtime rules" were put in place to encourage hiring more workers rather than increasing pay to individual workers?

 

Yes, chefs work far more hours than anyone else in the BOH, but chefs are the only "professionals" in the BOH, the rest are "trades workers".
 

 

I completely agree with this.  A chef is generally a salaried management position and many people in these positions in any field put in over 40 hrs a week.  I know sales managers working 50-60hrs a week, investment bankers over 90hrs a week, small business owners putting in well over 60hrs a week, etc.  It's just the nature of a higher level job with more responsibilities and it's not only unique chefs.  However, it does seem much harder for a chef to escape working these long hours.

If the person has worked in the industry before going to culinary school, they wouldn't be asking that question.

As one of my fomer bosses would say, "Sh*t, or get off the pot." ( pot in this case referring to a terlet)

Anyone who has worked in the industry for a year or more knows that salary suck big time, benefits are non existant,  and that treachery and treason lurk at every corner.

wanna make a difference?

Tell the ACF to "look after the pennies, the dollars will lookk after themselves"
In other words, focus on the training of cooks, the qualifications/benchmaks, of cooks, and above all the testing of cooks. 

Not Chefs.  They can look after themselves. 

Maybe, perhaps, if only, we had a standard for cooks, the various culinary schools could have a cohesive curriculum, maybe they wouldn't be hosing students for 60 grand, and maybe owners would actually respect the cook instead of hosing them as well. 

And maybe the customer would pay good money for good food......

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleverchef 

Investment bankers make 6 figures, Business owners are doing it for themselves and Most sales managers do very well.

Compare salaries, the average chef with 5 years out of school is working 60 to 70 hours and averages about $50K.

Yeah, those are some bad examples.  I just meant that a job's hours are generally proportionate to the level of responsibility involved, which seems to be true in most cases for chefs.  And yeah, the pay usually doesn't match making it hard to justify the hours.

I have been in this business for over 38 yrs. I`ve worked long hrs through out my career. My wife would explain to the women who wnated to be married or "involved" whith chefs that "its like being married to a doctor with out the BIG income.

 Lately my question to myself at over 50 is how do I tell my corporation when to much work is just TOO much. I`ve been doing the work of 6-7 people 12- 16 hrs a day since july, and I don`t know how mush longer I can actually keep doing it. My staff of 25 is now down to 7 !!!!!! My GM will not allow any OT ( she wants to make the ficsal yr, end budget)

Along with running my own unit I also have to support our district as I`ve been handed that title as well. It`s not the long hours that are getting to me, but the pace I have to keep. you would have to imagine the pace kept on the show "Chopped" every day 12- 16 hrs. I consider myself in good shape ....but really how much can the company actually expect out of one guy???

Break a leg.

No seriously. Find a way to get yourself in a hospital or in a  bed for two weeks before the end of the fiscal year.

After that, arrange a mtg with corporate HR and demand your cut of the low labour bonus that your GM gets.

Then, put on a teflon coated bullet proof helmet, titanium, teflon coated underwear, and watch the sh*t fly around you.  Telfon is important, because someone is going to try and make the sh*t stick on you.