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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Rivera on January 1, 2016 at 2:19pm

Working weekends is a must at my establishment. Non negotiable. I say that in interviews. 

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Permalink Reply by Sunni Gilliam on January 4, 2016 at 10:12am

Short answer is "No". You are not the only one with this kind of problem.  It is tough when you have a "vet" who needs to change their schedule.  However, if the person is trustworthy, and I assume they are since they have been with you for 3 years, I would try to work with them to prevent losing them. I find it easier to find a parttime person to work weekends.  Students are definitely interested in this type of schedule.

Perhaps he/she can continue to work the schedule given until a new person is trained to take over.  I would try to work out something that is best for all and makes everyone happy.  Last thing you want is a disgruntled employee on staff.  One bad apple...

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Jen Hurd on January 6, 2016 at 4:57pm

Funny--I'm giving a talk at Coffee Fest NYC about just this issue!  I think employee retention is frequently overlooked in the industry and operators accept high rates of turnover without addressing the issues that cause it.  I think keeping baristas engaged and motivated is a huge issue in cafes.  You mention the schedule; is that your biggest reason for losing employees?  It's certainly not unusual to require each employee to work one weekend shift and one closing shift per week.  Is the employee in question a student, does she have another job, what's causing the sudden schedule issue?

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Permalink Reply by Sheena Cameron on January 28, 2016 at 4:23pm

Thanks for all the fed back. I've been busy hiring new employees to replace some since I've got a few leaving for school and another job.

Jen, I hope to make it to Coffee Fest NYC to go to classes and meet others in the industry since I've been going to Seattle Coffee Fest last few years.

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Permalink Reply by Jen Hurd on January 29, 2016 at 12:22pm

Yeah--no Coffee Fest in Seattle or Portland this year!  If you want to wait for a west coast show, it'll be in Anaheim in September.

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