Dining has become the overall trend as of lately. The young, the old and everyone in between finds time to spend a little extra on lavishly set tables followed by intricate eats. Consumers are obsessed with the restaurant industry... yet from the simplest fast food joints to the high end, five-star dives, workers all across the board are duped. There is an underlying issue within the restaurant scene, and that has everything to do with employees being overworked and undercompensated.
As the customers join in scattered banter, patiently waiting for their grub, hell erupts in all sectors of the restaurant. Beginning at the door: hosts hurriedly run, dodge and pace the floor trying to accommodate the party of ten that just came in with a baby in carriage with the desire to sit outside on a hot summer night. Drifting towards the servers and you'll find a staff engrossed in taking orders with vagarious requests. Meanwhile, the kitchen workers scatter to and fro, immersed in heat, expected to complete hundreds of orders within a crazily short amount of time. Oh, and don't forget the irritated customers that appear here and there. Some that want to sit immediately, some that hate the food, and some that complain just to complain. And after a busy night, keep in mind that all of the workers are filled with exhaustion, have to tend to the once clean tables and floor. The trash needs to be taken out. And the kitchen cleaned. All that work... and yet a minimal paycheck.
There is a problem with the restaurant industry. Workers are underpaid at least $2.63 with the notion that the rest of their tips will equate to a mere $8 (The Boston Globe). But this is not always the case. Even worse, the kitchen staff is given minimum wage with a gruesome amount of hours and no health benefits (The Boston Globe). Point being, the demands for these jobs are far greater than the outcomes, and the work is taxing beyond comprehension. Regardless, employees show up, knowing well-enough that their dislocated knee or pneumonia has to be put aside in order to pay the bill. Or they possibly couldn't get someone to cover their shift and are required to show up even though their health is far from great. Simply put, the people that work in the restaurant industry are just trying to sustain themselves on minimum wage in hopes of getting good money. The kitchen works long hours in order to see a larger paycheck. But both parties suffer physically, for the job requires all the energy you can put into it. Yet people continue to serve, cook and work all sectors of the restaurant because it is addicting. The company can sometimes be good and the large tips are what every worker strives for.
However, this lifestyle is asinine, especially for those with families to feed and massive amounts of bills to pay. Agreeably, workers can get a better education and find a less demanding place of employment, yet there are certain life factors that often get in the way, making it easier said than done. Not to mention, not everyone is blessed with the possibility of higher education. Not everyone has the capability or time to immerse themselves in school work. There are a plethora of factors as to why people remain loyal to this industry; one being that it has and always will remain loyal to them.
Overall, the restaurant industry needs a shift in the way it treats its workers, specifically regarding pay. That being said, consumers should keep in mind the amount of work and dedication put into their dining experience before stiffing the check. Ideally, workers will never make millions off waiting tables and cooking in the kitchen, but there must be a way for improvement. Just by leaving a decent tip and trying to bring awareness to the minimum wage servers get will surely bring light to the situation. Hopefully, within good time, restaurant industry workers will be decently worked and fairly paid.
