Restaurant Employee Handbook. 4 Important Additions

Setting clear standards, guaranteeing consistency and fostering a great work atmosphere in restaurants all depend on having an effective “employee handbook” – i.e designing policies that support staff members’ success. In this post, we’ll look at four fundamental guidelines that any restaurant employee handbook ought to contain. These guidelines will increase professionalism, productivity and client satisfaction. Let’s start now!

1. Punctuality and attendance

For any restaurant to run smoothly, attendance that is reliable and on time is essential. Think about the following suggestions:

Be on time: Stress the need of being punctual while reporting for planned shifts. Being on time guarantees easy transitions between shifts and enables the restaurant to serve clients quickly.
Notify in advance: Establish a procedure for informing the restaurant ahead of time if a staff member will not be able to show up for their planned shift. This enables effective planning and lessens the chance of operational problems.
Consistent attendance: Encourage staff members to keep up their regular attendance by helping them safely manage their personal calendars. Address any recurrent attendance difficulties right away, to ensure proper staffing and customer service.

Find out more about Employee Scheduling.

2. Professionalism and customer service

In the restaurant business, professionalism and superior customer service are essential. The following rules should be included in your employee handbook:
Establish a dress code that expresses professionalism and reflects the restaurant’s brand. Outline any special criteria, acceptable attire and grooming standards.
Stress the importance of offering friendly and welcoming customer service. Staff personnel should receive training in good communication, active listening and promptly and politely resolving client complaints.
Promote polite conduct among employees and toward customers. Encourage an environment at work where everyone feels respected and appreciated.

Find out more about delivering exceptional customer service.

3. Food safety and hygiene

In the restaurant business, upholding high standards of food safety and hygiene is essential. Make sure the following guidelines are included in your employee handbook:

Stress the value of routine hand washing and good hand hygiene practices, particularly when handling food and right after handling anything that could possibly be contaminated.
It’s important to train staff in safe food handling techniques, such as appropriate storage, temperature management and preventing cross-contamination. To guarantee compliance, review and reinforce these procedures frequently.
Establish rules for personal hygiene, such as wearing hair restraints, keeping uniforms clean, and upholding excellent hygiene practices, such as taking regular showers and maintaining good oral hygiene.

4. Discretion and privacy

It is crucial to respect the privacy and confidentiality of customers and coworkers. Add the following principles:

Customer information: Emphasize the value of protecting customer information. Employees shouldn’t give out a customer’s contact information or personal information to outside parties.
Privacy in the workplace: Ensure that employees respect the privacy of their coworkers. Personal discussions and information exchanged at work should be kept private.
Social media usage: Create rules for proper social media usage. Encourage employees to behave professionally when blogging online about the restaurant’s patrons.

Your restaurant may foster a happy work atmosphere, excellent customer service and effective operations by adopting these four key rules for staff members. Keep in mind to add these rules to your employee handbook and to communicate and train your staff about them frequently.