Am I the only line cook who thinks having a backup chef on call is more trouble than it's worth?

I worked a brunch shift in Austin last Sunday and our backup chef showed up 45 minutes late. The whole system is supposed to save us when someone calls in sick, but it just left me juggling two stations while waiting on them. On one hand, having that extra person means we don't shut down unexpectedly. On the other hand, the unreliability and extra prep work for a maybe-person feels like a waste. Does anyone else find backup chefs just create more chaos than they solve?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_alice15d ago

@williams.sage is right, nobody wants to enforce the cutoff when they're already desperate for hands.

danielnelson16d ago

Set a firm 30 minute late cutoff and tell your manager it's on them to enforce it.

williams.sage16d ago

Sunday brunch in Austin is rough enough without waiting 45 minutes on a backup. That 30 minute cutoff works in theory but most kitchens have a hard time enforcing it when they're already short staffed. I think the real problem is nobody wants to be the one sending someone home after they finally showed up.