Employment an issue for fast food industry

Regina Leader-Post Online (SK)

10-25-2007

Fast-food restaurants are being hit by no no shows - mainly part time employees who don't show up.

"I had no one show up for their shifts this weekend," said Subway manager Brenton Humphrey.

The statement was responeded to with knowing agreement amongst Regina's fast-food franchise owners.

"This store is temporarily closed due to insufficient staff," read the note Humphrey hung on the door when he closed shop for three hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
"I was driving around trying to get a hold of someone. I managed to get a hold of him at 5:30(p.m.)," he said.

Some managers in the service industry expressed the view that many part-time employees have an attitude that if they are fired they will get a job anywhere. Now employers are left looking for staff they can count on to show up.

Humphrey said that the problem is generally restricted to part-time and weekend staff.
"I have talked with some business owners that say, 'It's a good day, all my workers showed up,' " said John Hopkins, CEO of the Regina Chamber of Commerce

"At one time, if your employees didn't show up, you fired them. Now it is not that simple, the competition for employees is like it has never been before," Hopkins added.
"I am very frustrated," said one fast-food franchise owner who requested to remain anonymous. "I have nothing positive to say about my situation or business."

Employers need to be creative and promote positive work environments, said Hopkins.
"It is not just about money. (Employees) want to work at a place where they can feel some sort of belief in and passion about what they are doing, and a place where they can have fun."

Sarah Edwards, who works at Pita Pit, said she would never consider not showing up for work without warning. "Our boss is very accommodating, if we can't work he will work around it. He doesn't talk down to us either," she said.

She considers people who skip work to be "very disrespectful," and would let them know her disapproval by making some sarcastic remark to their face.

Having said that, the 22-year-old said due to the restraints of university classes, her stint within the fast food industry will last less than three months, the normal time span for the service industry.

Between 1,000 and 2,000 people of the 30,200 working in Saskatchewan's accommodation and food services industry in 2006 will leave their jobs within one month, according to Doug Elliott of SaskTrends Monitor, a statistical newsletter. He added those numbers are possibly more concentrated to Regina because people working in small towns are less likely to quit.
Larry Boulanger, owner of Taco Del Mar in Regina, said he has noticed that if staff last one month they are more likely to stay for three months to a year.

"We haven't had a great deal of (staff not coming in), it is just the same people do it all the time. We had two people, one of them we finally let go, the other is on a warning," said Boulanger.

"You can't put up with it, because then you lose your good staff that do show up," he added. "It just winds up getting worse, and the other people who are showing up all the time ... (ask) 'why am I bothering.' "

They don't realize they are ruining their resume, he added.

One potential employee missed his interview and was late the second time, said Boulanger. "I just looked at him and said sorry I can't hire you."

Raising wages doesn't always work either, sometimes it is better to invest that money into creating a positive work environment, he noted.

bhuber@leaderpost.canwest.com
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