What benefits do restaurant owners need to offer in order to attract and retain personnel? Faced with a labor shortage, one American casual dining chain has come up with a solution that is both surprising and appealing: offering employees the possibility to take a sabbatical!
Convincing individuals to work in the restaurant industry and at the same time fostering a desire to pursue a career in this sector: it's a major challenge for the owners of bars, bistros and other eateries. A better salary, bonuses, more flexible hours... In many countries, the benefits being offered by restaurant owners to recruit new employees may be a step in the right direction but they're not necessarily a dramatic gesture. In the United States, the Bar Louie restaurant chain has come up with some more original ideas for hiring and retaining managers. The chain, which serves burgers, fish and chips and a range of "bar bites," has established a comprehensive benefits program that will now be offered to candidates.
The plan is to offer managers three weeks of sabbatical leave every three years to the lucky ones, reports the American press. It is not known, however, whether these vacations will be paid. But that's not all!
Bar Louie also plans to financially support employees in organizing their vacations. There are other monetary benefits that could make restaurant work attractive to certain candidates. Managers will receive bonuses commensurate with the restaurant's goals. And they will receive 500 dollars each quarter to spend on wellness expenses such as a gym membership.
As in many countries, American restaurant owners are facing a drastic shortage of manpower. The sector has seen an exodus of more than 650,000 employees, according to reports.
