Despite countrywide labour shortages in Canada’s food services sector, David Schwartz’s two Toronto restaurants are fully staffed.
Both Mimi Chinese, which opened in October last year, and Sunnys Chinese, which opened in August, have offered their employees benefits packages since day one. Now, economists say, if restaurants want to attract and retain talent, their best bet is to start offering better employment packages. And a growing number of Toronto restaurants are listening, offering health and dental benefits to staff as the food service industry continues to see vacancies surge and workers look for higher earnings and job security.
Labour shortages throughout the pandemic have been most severe in the restaurant industry, which has historically depended on cheap labour to turn a profit. The business offers dental and medical benefits package to employees who work at the bakery for more than one year. Managers are eligible for benefits immediately upon hire.
off a worker’s pay cheque every two weeks. After three years, Blackbird Baking Co. pays 75 per cent of the benefits — and 100 per cent after five years.“As a bakery we’re quite technical, so it takes a level of skill to work here. It’s expensive to constantly be retraining bakers,” Blackwell said. “The longer people are here, the better the camaraderie and the workplace. It’s not ideal to have a revolving door of people.
ayles_b
Duh.
Not just restaurants
Sadly, some restaurants will not be able to compensate staff like this. And staff will leave; more restaurants will close down. So, the end of inexpensive restaurant meals has arrived. That's life: Unemployment is low and workers do not need to accept low wages these days
Weird that people need food, clothing and shelter and will look for the highest rate of compensation to achieve that without taking 3 jobs on.
Astonishing insights. Wow.
Restaurants should use all-in pricing like the rest of the economy & treat labour like any other overhead. Post prices online, ads, at door, in menu and let the market prevail. All-in ensures proper base salary, tax reporting, access to CPP, EI, WSIB, attraction/retention, etc
23$ gin and soda
paying ppl more is always the last thing they try.
you needed economists to tell you this?
Should read: ‘Economists finally fucking figure it out.’
Great piece! Way better put then those SJW Snowflake pieces ShreeParadkar puts out with her “opinions”