As vaccination rates rise and hospitality businesses welcome back customers, your employer calls and asks if you want to pick up some shifts at the restaurant again.
Though you’re excited, you start to feel concerned about how stressful reopening might be. You now get to reunite with your team and customers, but you’re assigned additional responsibilities to keep everyone at your workplace safe.
Before you get back to your job, there are some things you should know. Read on to learn what to expect when you return to working in a restaurant this year.
New safety and health protocols
From vaccinations, mask-wearing, social distancing, and more, your employer wants to ensure your health and safety as you interact with your coworkers and customers. Although over a year has passed since the start of the pandemic, guidelines and mandates are continuing to change.
You may have to provide proof of vaccination, negative antigen tests, or answer pre-shift questions to make sure you’re keeping everyone safe when you clock in. Your workplace layout may change for proper distancing between customers and coworkers as well.
The fear that going back to work can lead to increased transmission and positive cases of COVD-19 is valid. Work with your supervisors and team members to ensure you can make each other safe and comfortable while you’re clocked in. You can also work with them to create a toolkit that best suits the restaurant.
More communication
Your employer may be hiring more team members in front and back of house. And as you adjust to new health protocols, your customers are too. And constantly keeping up with them is hard for both of you. As customers feel ready to return to indoor dining and new hires are being trained, your shifts and tasks can easily become overwhelming.
Team communication and collaboration can help relieve your anxieties about returning to an unpredictable work environment. As you create new dining experiences and follow new protocols, your team will need to make sure everyone is on the same page before dinner service starts. Keep up to date from a central communication platform so you can be as prepared as you can be before — and during — your shift.
Schedule changes
If your manager is still having a hard time hiring new staff, your schedule may be at risk of more changes than usual. You may have to work longer shifts to accommodate coworkers taking an unexpected day off, or you may have to work brunch instead of dinner because of staff shortages.
Be prepared for your shifts to move around as the restaurant you work at continues to navigate new protocols and hire new talent. If you use a scheduling tool, it’s easier to track and manage any abrupt changes to your shifts.
Welcome back
As you reconnect with loyal diners and serve them their favorite dishes, you remember how long you’ve waited to return to work. Though it may seem overwhelming at times, knowing what to expect can help you prepare for unexpected changes in your shifts.
Want to learn more about how you can navigate unexpected changes at work? Download The Employer’s Guide to Managing Unpredictability today.
