Waffle House Employees Are Working More for Less Pay During COVID-19
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By now, some Waffle House employees reported seeing their hours gradually start to come back, as their workforce thins due to colleagues filing for unemployment or taking voluntary unpaid leave, and as more customers venture out for meals. Liv, whose unit is still closed, has found shifts at another Waffle House in Auburn. Jamie, after a brief leave of absence, said that in their area, “so many people were let go that [they] could come back and get decent hours” similar to the number of hours they had been working pre-pandemic. While Waffle Houses management took heavy pay cuts, some 28,000 employees lost their jobs altogether. Those who didn't lose their jobs had their hours drastically cut, and with an hourly wage as low as $2.13 and only a trickle of customers, the tips dried up.
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It's worth noting, though, that these were the rules in 2012, and numerous employees on Indeed have said Waffle House is a bit more lax about piercings now — provided an employee's face doesn't look like a human pin cushion. If sizzling eggs and hissing waffle irons aren't enough to get customers' toes tapping, most Waffle House locations have a stocked jukebox full of tunes to choose from. Customers have the option of choosing hit songs from popular artists, but they can also opt for lesser-known songs. "There are Raisins in my Toast" and "Grill Operator" are just a smattering of original Waffle House tunes. The chain has had its own record label for over 35 years (via Atlanta Journal-Constitution). A Waffle House waitress on Reddit said that a customer getting sick and throwing up was a weekly occurrence.
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These positions offer a competitive salary along with performance based bonuses. Like many other companies, Waffle House has apparently felt the financial devastation of the novel coronavirus. Freebies pretty much cover most of the breakfast menu, according to the Reddit poster.
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"The closest we got was a customer who refused to leave after being asked." The Waffle House manager said it's only then that the police are called to escort any rude customers out. On a weekend, then you know the crowd can be a bit livelier than the customers who fill up the weekday morning barstools. Every employee in the service industry is going to run into rude customers occasionally, and Waffle House is no different.
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Most chain restaurants have some sort of uniform or dress code that employees must adhere to. The only difference is just how strictly those dress codes are enforced. Take a look around the next time you're inside a Waffle House, and you'll probably notice that most of the men working are clean-shaven.
In 2019, Alabama Local News reported on a single worker handling a location by themselves after co-workers failed to show up to cover for absences in the schedule. This meant the employee was all alone during the shift, and even at midnight the restaurant was buzzing with activity, so all the responsibilities — cooking, cleaning, serving — fell to them. Between refills of coffee and slinging plates, working at Waffle House is a whirlwind of activity. Because so many people pour through its doors on a daily basis, it's normal for the restaurant to run out of some pretty essential ingredients. According to a Waffle House grill operator on Reddit, "I once ran out of waffle iron spray which meant I had to go a whole 10 hours telling people I wasn't able to serve them waffles of all things." "She'd [Knowlton's manager Donna] told me during my brief training session the previous day that I'd either need to shave or wear something called a beard net," wrote Knowlton.
The Waffle House grad said the training program for those without experience typically lasts around 12 weeks. If a person has already proven themselves as a grill cook or server, that education timeframe might be a bit shorter. This is a great opportunity for someone without work experience to get into the restaurant industry as full training is provided. Other benefits for hourly employees include a flexible schedule, yearly raises, health insurance, comprehensive medical plan, dental and more.
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Workers enjoy free food on the job
Both Morgan and server Desaree Altizer said it really boils down to the restaurant's location, the shift an employee works, and connecting with customers. There are plenty of diners dotted across the American landscape, but few roadside eateries are as iconic as Waffle House. The restaurant with its yellow sign and brown brick building is about as no-frills as you get, and while you can instantly smell grease in the air, you won't get a whiff of pretentiousness. Since its humble Georgia beginnings in 1955, Waffle House has been about serving its customers good, simple food and providing honest work for those who cook and serve that food. Unit Manager – The Unit Manager responsibilities including recruiting and training new team members, provide excellent customer service with high food standards. Other responsibilities include increasing profitability by exercising food and labor cost control and implanting all company guidelines.
She's so familiar with some regulars that she starts buttering their toast just the way they like when they pull into the parking lot. "You kind of get to know everybody." Some regulars Pearson sees every day, and she considers them almost like family. The night before the interview, do some research into the company and write down any questions that you may have regarding job advancement opportunities. Keep away from questions such as paid time off, or wages as this may give the wrong impression. Layout and iron the clothes that you plan on wearing keeping to casual or business casual clothes.
Employees can enroll for some benefits on their first day where others benefits may not be available depending on eligibility. The benefits listed are for those from Waffle House Inc. and may vary for franchise locations. Now, the company has 1500 company and franchise owned businesses in 25 states with their Headquarters being located in Norcross, GA.
Running out of tomatoes, lettuce, or even American cheese would be frustrating, but not a crisis. Over half the menu would be out of order, meaning no omelets, no breakfast platters, and definitely no batter to make waffles, one of the core reasons people go to Waffle House in the first place. According to another Waffle House employee on Reddit, most piercings are also a bit iffy. "All cooks must shave daily, and no piercings are allowed at all (which sucks, I have to take out my eyebrow ring and earrings constantly, though my tongue ring I have gotten away with)," they said.
Zhu said Chick-fil-A was far too competitive, and without any job experience, the soon-to-be waitress was turned down everywhere she applied. "Waffle House was the only company that took a chance on me. For that, I was grateful," Zhu wrote in an essay about the experience for Slate. If you are applying online for a management career, give the store about five days to look over your application and then call them to follow up on it. Manager Trainee-This role is responsible for assisting in the training of team members, problem solving, ensuring the company standards are maintained and that there is a clean and safe work environment.
Hourly wages are competitive with the industry standard and some benefits are available on the first day. A great perk of working a fast food gig is the employee discount, and Waffle House's policy is extremely generous. One worker even called it the "best in the restaurant business" (via Reddit).
Get those waffles to the customers quick, get'em out door, and get the next group of butts in the booth. A friendly server without much experience can actually make decent money working at the Waffle House. But to some hourly employees, that core concept has rung hollow during the pandemic.
The idea of “family” is key to Waffle House’s image, both internally and externally. The first song released by Waffle Records, the company’s music label, is called “Waffle House Family” (1984). There are constantly news stories about families spending holidays and taking Christmas photos at Waffle House, wholesome tales of Americana and togetherness. Management refers to their workers as a family — “As a Waffle House family, we are all in this together,” Ehmer wrote in the email notifying unit managers of grill operator pay cuts.
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