Micromanaging Owner Cuts Chef's Pay, Backfires In Righteous Fashion

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mattstaff
Jan 22, 2021 4:00 PM EST

There's nothing we love more to see than a micromanaging owner get greedy and end up having it backfire in glorious fashion. This owner was trying to keep his fragile ego afloat while cutting his hard working kitchen staff's rightful pay, and ended up ultimately spending the same amount of money that he would've (if not more) if he'd just left things alone. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/MaliciousCompliance + Join u/CopChef · 30d 11 2 5 e 3 3 14 8 1 Change me from hourly to salary to cut my раy. ОК... L This takes place in the "before times" when people could eat out and gather in large numbers. I used to work as a chef, for an owner who liked to micromanage things and was a bit narcissistic. I'd been working there about 3 years, getting good reviews, customers loved me, updated the menu. Made everything from scratch, people used to think the place was open box/heat, se
    via u/CopChef
  • 02
    Font - The increase in sales and income went to the owners head. He was always spending money on frivolous things and squandering cash. Sound system, stage for the event space, ect. One example, I needed a new Alto-Sham, a used one would have sufficed, nope he bought the top of the line one that could be used as a smoker too $12k vs what I wanted could be gotten used for $1,500. Granted I enjoyed that piece of equipment, which after I left they no longer use the smoker function. Years later I st
    via u/CopChef
  • 03
    Font - I was hourly, but then the owner realized during the busy season I and my Sous Chef put in 70-80hr weeks. Doing this he realized I made more take home pay from his business than he did. At peak times he'd maybe work 40-50 hours a week. So to save money he puts me and my Sous on salary effectively cutting my pay by about $10k a year. My Sous netted a loss of $2k/yr, if we were to work at our current level of effort.
    via u/CopChef
  • 04
    Font - During all of this the owner is saying he is not expecting us to work over 40 hours a week, EVER. He even has this written into our contracts. So with the extra time off at home with family it is ok, I still like the job and my staff. During the slower time this was great. Also during this time I had won a local award for my cooking, and the narcissistic owner was not too pleased. He was no longer recognized as the creative force in the kitchen that bears his name, so his meddling and mic
    via u/CopChef
  • 05
    Font - I tart writing the holiday schedule, Sous is on vacation, I have my 40 during key prep times and peak business times. The rest if my staff gets serious overtime. Basically the Sous and I carried a lot of the weight in the kitchen and could out preform most of our small staff. So with Sous on vacay and I only pulling 40 full time staff is now working 60ish hours a week, and part timers are getting 40. Things are running pretty smoothly until the owner realizes l'm not there like I always a
    via u/CopChef
  • 06
    Font - Now with my Sous returning, I'm burned out from the constant micromanaging & gaslighting by the owner I hand the reigns to my Sous and change careers after 25 years in the industry and never look back. TLDR, micromanaging owner cuts my pay by $10k a year to save money, due to owners stupid spending habits. Says in contract not required to work over 40hours a week. Busy holiday season only work 40, rest of kitchen staff gets overtime, and no money is saved. 4 16.9k 395 ,↑, Share
    via u/CopChef
  • 07

    Here are some of our favorite comments from folks that connected with the story.

    Font - Font - daal_op_owen · 34d You go you. It's always nice to see the douche canoes getting what they deserve for their selfishness. My brother-in-law did something similar to my husband (and myself). Salary to hourly to force him to work longer hours. Then he was surprised when he got notice that hubby was leaving for a new job. Plus we were selling our place to move out of state to take it. He was scrambling to find someone to manage his businesses and someone to take over doing the mainten
    via u/CopChef
  • 08
    Font - Font - silvercaveman · 33d I used to be head chef of a large sports bar that could seat 200 at a time and did about $2m in sales per year. This is back about 15-20 years ago, and I was only getting paid $36k salary. I enjoyed it for the most part, there was always plenty of sporting events on, and touring teams would come to us regularly. It was always very busy though and I was averaging about 60 hours a week. Business picked up to a point where the general manager decided to get me some
    via u/CopChef
  • 09
    Font - Rectangle - I got this paid out when I left. I'm no longer in hospitality, but the morale of the story is to check your employee contract thoroughly and keep records of time worked. Sorry for the long story, it turned out a bit longer than I expected lol. + Reply 36
    via u/CopChef
  • 10
    Font - Font - Timpontiac19 · 33d I got offered a manager job by the chef at the hotel I work at. This is after the first time telling me I wasn't ready although it did most of the job for nearly a year. I said I wanted 60k a year. That is for 50 hrs a week. I came to that figure with my current hourly pay at 40hrs a week plus the 10 in ot. His offer was 52k, I did the math and that would be 2-3$ an hour less. He said my math was wrong. So I said it was 60k and that's my lowest. The surprise on h
    via u/CopChef
  • 11
    Font - Font - CdnPoster • 33d I will never understand why owners shoot themselves in the foot like this. If you have rock star staff, KEEP THEM HAPPY!!!! The profits will flow!! Reply 1 90
    via u/CopChef

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