During Covid-19, many restaurants became more vulnerable, and their earnings decreased significantly, forcing the management and owners to take action. Due to the unforeseen and unpredictable nature of the pandemic, owners had to reduce staff and focus on safer approaches to serve the customers. Among the most evident decision were the ones regarding staff reduction, take-out, and delivery service. Nevertheless, it is vital to consider that staff reduction along with other changes can lead to undesirable outcomes. Thus, when reducing staff, it is crucial to consider several strategies regarding the duration of reduction and the importance of different employees.
In the event of a global pandemic, as the proprietor of a steakhouse that also specializes in vegetarian cuisine, I would first consider the timeframe of the staff dismission. Fifty individuals work full-time, part-time, and in a casual capacity at my restaurant as a whole. The restaurant staff has two vegan experts in addition to other cooks and waiters. In the given situation, I will take into account which positions are for permanent and temporary dismissals. I believe that during a period of economic instability, full-time employees play a key role in establishing a predictable environment rather than part-time employees. Furthermore, I think that a certain percentage of waiters should be temporarily dismissed due to the focus on take-outs and the necessity of hiring delivery employees.
Another strategy to consider when reducing staff is the value of the employees. At this point, the first employees who will have to be laid off permanently are poor performers. Preference will be given to the hard-working personnel and those who were not newly hired. Lastly, two specialists in vegan cuisine can be the highest-paid employees. In this situation, one specialist can be enough for a small-size restaurant. Keeping few highest-paid employees is not reasonable due to the necessity to hire delivery staff.
Hence, such strategies can save the company money and maintain revenue while eliminating risks. For a company with a casual capacity of 50 employees, there might be a risk in maintaining the revenue. Thus, it is vital first to consider which employees to hire temporarily or permanently. At this point, I will consider strategies for evaluating personnel’s expertise, salary, and how long they worked for the restaurant.