# Today, someone in the restaurant business called in sick. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376 "2011-12-16T03:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/81 "2011-12-16T22:44:43Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Uh, my wife and I both have retail experience. What we got out of it was thinking, “Geez, time to get out of retail.” Time to stop ranting about a profession that’s on such razor-edge profit margins that one person getting sick or having a family emergency or whose car broke down or what ever ruined the whole operation, and go to college to get better jobs. And, we did. Enjoy. Excuse me, I did go to college. I also have a master’s degree AND a culinary certificate 🙂 I went into this business for many reasons. Yes, I knew exactly what I was getting into. If I didn’t enjoy the 99% of it that I still do enjoy, I sure as hell wouldn’t still be doing it. This thread isn’t any different than the mile-long “Workplace Griping” thread. The difference is that the OP is griping about _his_ particular industry. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/82 "2011-12-16T22:48:41Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I worked as a cook in a lot of places when I was younger and yeah there is really insane pressure not to call in sick, which means a lot of food is being coughed and sneezed on. I remember when I got my first office job and called in sick and how it wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s the “macho” ethic that still reigns in the food as well as the service industry. My first boss used to say, “You NEVER call in unless you’re bleeding to death.” (This was regular retail, btw – my first food service boss expanded on similar). ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/83 "2011-12-16T22:51:29Z")
> [@stegon66](#): > > Pretty much. Upper management, above all else, wants the slimmest labor margins possible, even if it’s to the detriment of guest service. Oh, they’ll talk out their asses about the importance of service, but once that interferes with labor than you’re back to skeleton crews again. I’ve seen it many times. They’re really just in it for their labor/GAP bonuses. Don’t forget the shareholders! > [@](#): > > As for call-offs I’d say 90% are bullshit, with the most popular excuses being “I been up all night pukin’ mah guts out!” and “My car broke down in (insert name of city just far enough away for it to be inconvenient to send someone to pick you up).” The amount of those kind of excuses are in direct proportion to the age of the employee – at least in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/84 "2011-12-16T23:07:45Z")
> [@Amblydoper](#): > > Its hard work feeding all you hungry hungry customers every day, and profit margins in the restaurant business are slim. We run with a shoestring labor budget and everyone is stressed out, and the people never stop coming. Never. It’s exactly like this in my own job. I work hard and stay late diagnosing diseases, and the next day there’s a shitload of patients back in with more diseases to diagnose, and someone is bitching and moaning if their report is as much as a day late no matter how complicated the case is, and for chrissake can’t you all just take a day off? 😕:mad: The OP needs to use advanced marketing tricks to increase that slim profit margin. Like the restaurant we ate at on Monday, which announced it was celebrating its 17th anniversary by making everything on the menu 17% off! Sounded great, until we looked closely at the bill and saw that they had included an automatic 18% tip in the final price. For two people. And included an extra tip line so we could leave an additional full tip, assuming we weren’t paying attention. You gotta move with the times. :dubious: By the way, I always go out to eat even if I’m feeling sick and might spread germs. I know you guys have a slim profit margin and I’d feel guilty staying home. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/85 "2011-12-17T00:05:28Z")
All these posts raking the OP over the coals and no one offers to do what they can to help? Well not me. I’ve worked in food service and I remember how much I hated customers. So I’ll make you a deal, **Amblydoper**. Tell us where you work, and I promise never ever to eat there. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/86 "2011-12-17T00:23:38Z")
Damn! It’s Friday, and I think I might be going out to eat tonight with my family. Should I go anyway and feel guilty about it, or just stay home. Maybe I’ll only order something that is easy to make. In other words, the OP certainly has a point about the workplace, the management not scheduling enough people to work, and maybe even about customers who are snarky or needy. But he lost me when he complained about the customers who merely had the audacity to go out to eat during busy times. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/87 "2011-12-17T00:25:31Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > In that case: you are a worthless piece of shit and an asshole all wrapped up in blanket of failure. Mom?!? Is that you??? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/88 "2011-12-17T00:58:21Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > All these posts raking the OP over the coals and no one offers to do what they can to help? Well not me. I’ve worked in food service and I remember how much I hated customers. So I’ll make you a deal, **Amblydoper**. Tell us where you work, and I promise never ever to eat there. Hey, I offered in post #18! I’m tryin’ to do good, here! ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/89 "2011-12-17T01:25:14Z")
I don’t know what’s going on in the OP’s mind, of course, but something else just occurred to me: I don’t think he’s complaining about customers per se as he is complaining about the onslaught of X number of customers at one time (aka a “rush” in restaurant lingo) while serving the previous rush of customers…? Think of “shoveling shit against the tide”. You’ve got all these people in different stages of waiting on top of yet another wave of people in different stages of waiting. You, the employee, are trying as best you can to juggle everything, but there always comes a point where one little thing – in this case, the tomato in the OP’s post – is just enough to send you over the edge. So, instead of pulling out your figurative AK47 and shooting everyone, you come to the Pit 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/90 "2011-12-17T01:33:28Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > I am getting REAL tired of people shitting on others rants. > > LET PEOPLE RANT! If you want to shit on the rant or don’t agree with the ranter…keep your opinion to yourself. If you can’t keep your opinion to yourself, start another Pit thread and pit the ranter. > > Geez people…let someone blow off steam. Have some fucking sympathy you god damn bastards. Sorry, but no. The OP ranted directly at customers, who have the gall to always be eating out, and keeping him and his co-workers employed. So fuck him. I agree that too many rants in the pit get jumped on, but the OP made the entirety of the dining-out population (which probably includes at least a few dopers) the subject of his rant. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/91 "2011-12-17T01:44:50Z")
If you only want to make your burgers one way, just put up a sign that says: WE ONLY MAKE BURGERS ONE WAY, DAMN IT. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/92 "2011-12-17T01:47:04Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > 1)You should be glad that you have a job. Some people don’t and desperately want one, and so feel unsympathetic and maybe even a little irked, when you complain about working normal hours. I see. So nobody is allowed to complain about their job because there are unemployed people. Makes great sense. > [@](#): > > 2)You chose your field. Restaurant work is long and hard (and not in a good way). Been there and done that and saw that it sucked and moved on to easier and more convenient work. Maybe you should, too? Even better. Now you can only complain about your job if you have an approved job. How reasonable. Please make a pit rule. No more starting a pit thread unless your comfortable life has been disrupted. If you’ve a shitty job, well what did you expect? No complaints from you sir or madam! [QUOTE=jtgain] I think the OP should post the restaurant where he works, so we can call his boss. Then one of the 8.6% of the people out there looking for work can take his place, and he can never deal with customers ever again. Win-win. I’m with the other dickheads here. If I go out and pay $100 for dinner, I expect to be treated like fucking Emperor Justinian on his birthday. If your place won’t do it, another place will. [/QUOTE] I’ve a better idea. Learn to cook. You can eat for cheaper than $100, and you won’t have to worry about anyone not viewing your presence for the gift it is. Honestly, customers with this kind of attitude make me want to be unemployed. Slowly starving to death would be a blessing compared to dealing with some yutz who expects to be treated like gold because they’ve got money in their pocket. This may just be me, but I go out to eat to have a nice meal that somebody else has taken the time to prepare so that I don’t have to. I know it’s their job and it’s what they’re getting paid to do, but I still appreciate it. This thread is making me feel rather blessed for the kind and appreciative customers I have. [QUOTE=kiz] It’s the “macho” ethic that still reigns in the food as well as the service industry. My first boss used to say, “You NEVER call in unless you’re bleeding to death.” (This was regular retail, btw – my first food service boss expanded on similar). [/QUOTE] In my experience, it’s a mixture of a few factors. Yes there is the macho aspect. There’s also a sense that if you call in sick, you’re not pulling your weight on the crew. Add in that most kitchens are understaffed and overworked and you get a desire to not be the one that makes everyone else work that much harder. Another good reason is that most people working in kitchens are a bit on the broke side and can’t afford to miss a shift. Then there are the bosses that get majorly pissed if anyone misses a shift at all, even in the case of a stomach illness which requires by the health code a 24 symptom free period before returning to food handling. I’ve had to defend my crew against a vindictive boss who was furious that a vomiting cook was sent home. I also had to nearly physically force the cook out the door because he was worried about said boss cutting his hours. As for the OP, I’ve been there and done that more times than I can count. I feel for you. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/93 "2011-12-17T01:55:43Z")
I have cooked or worked in some aspect of the food industry for about 26 years. Never called in sick. Fuck that slacker! ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/94 "2011-12-17T01:58:38Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Mom?!? Is that you??? Well played, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/95 "2011-12-17T01:59:40Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Sorry, but no. The OP ranted directly at customers, who have the gall to always be eating out, and keeping him and his co-workers employed. > > So fuck him. > > I agree that too many rants in the pit get jumped on, but the OP made the entirety of the dining-out population (which probably includes at least a few dopers) the subject of his rant. Maybe this is just because I work in a kitchen, but I totally get where the OP is coming from. I’ve got a lot of really great customers who love my food and keep me cooking, but after several long months I get tired enough to want to pull a soup nazi on every single customer walking through my door. And I’ve got some absolutely wonderful customers. Little old ladies who take my chicken soup home to their sick loved ones. The kitchen’s hot. My boots are getting dank. My staff is tired of dealing with me and I’m just as tired of dealing with them. A variety of burns and cuts are giving me grief and that damned headache won’t go away except for when my knees are sore enough to distract focus. After a week of that with nothing but more weeks of the same to look forward to, you’re damn right being employed starts to sound like something less than a blessing. That said, I do love my little old ladies and being employed allows me to buy the post work beer that is the only thing keeping me alive at this point so I don’t start pit threads about my job. I totally get it though. After reading some of the responses in this thread, I understand it even more. If you’ve never been that frustrated at your job, I honestly envy you. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/96 "2011-12-17T02:35:20Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Hey, I offered in post #18! I’m tryin’ to do good, here! So you did. I knew that as sure as I posted “This many posts and no one’s said…” that someone would have. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone complain about how many posts it’s taken for something to be said and NOT had it immediately pointed out how many people already said exactly that. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/97 "2011-12-17T02:39:41Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > I see. So nobody is allowed to complain about their job because there are unemployed people. Makes great sense. > Even better. Now you can only complain about your job if you have an approved job. How reasonable. > > Please make a pit rule. No more starting a pit thread unless your comfortable life has been disrupted. If you’ve a shitty job, well what did you expect? No complaints from you sir or madam! No, my posts that you quoted were referring to the OP’s comment that he wouldn’t get any sympathy. I was attempting to explain to him why he wouldn’t get a lot of it. He can complain all he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/98 "2011-12-17T03:21:29Z")
> [@I'm Not Dennis Bergkamp](#): > > IMO, this rant would’ve been better directed at the management who sets pricing and staffing so that you’re on such a razor-thin edge that one person calling in sick doesn’t make things unbearable for the rest of you. You aren’t the only one who said this, but you stated it well, so I am quoting you. After a day of thinking about my horrible week, It is my bosses that I am pissed at. I was taking it out on the customers a bit too much. I come across as angry at the customers in my rant, but I’m really angry that my bosses won’t allow any room for error in their business model. I was in quite a positive mood today, despite having the busiest weekday lunch service in a long time. Every went smooth too. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/99 "2011-12-17T03:28:20Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Well, yeah: if the employee regularly handles food and is forced to come in while showing flu symptoms, that could be a health code violation. Damn it, I’m not pissed that the employee called in! I’m pissed that because one employee is missing, everyone else’s work load reaches a tipping point, yet we are expected to perform just as well as being fully staffed. And don’t you dare argue with me about health codes. Do a fucking search of my posts for links to the FDA Food Code. I know my shit and I take it seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376/100 "2011-12-17T03:45:26Z")
At least when it’s extra busy, or when the work that would normally be done by _n_ people has to be done by _n_-1 people, the servers typically earn more in tips for their extra work (which is one big advantage of the tipping system). Do the kitchen staff get any extra compensation for doing extra work during busy shifts? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-someone-in-the-restaurant-business-called-in-sick/606376.md?page=6)