While many foodservice employees might be working for the payday, money may not be every worker’s top priority. Across industries, 15% of male employees and 21% of female employees say they would take a pay cut and slow their career progression for a more accommodating schedule, according to research from professional services firm PwC.
Scheduling shifts for a dining hall that serves approximately 2,300 meals a day can be a tall order, and one that's getting tougher each semester, says Todd Christopher, restaurant operations manager for Messiah College’s Lottie Nelson Dining Hall in Mechanicsburg, Pa. “The best strategies to alleviate these challenges would be to remain friendly, inspiring, fun, and as flexible and understanding as possible.”
Here’s how Christopher and other foodservice operators are baking more flexible schedules into their culture.