Did you know? Since January 1, 2019, employees can refuse to work if they have not received their schedule 5 days in advance. What are the repercussions of this new provision on workers and their employers in the hotel and restaurant sectors?
Employees in the restaurant and hotel fields are often asked to follow last-minute schedules, a reality well known to workers in these fast-paced professional sectors.
Coordinator of bar service and a sommelier for several years, Alexandra Menegazzo has experienced this way of operating that can sometimes be annoying. “I often received my schedule a few days before the start of a shift, or even the day before, when I was asked to show up the next day. The worst is having to be on standby or on call the same day. But the truth is that the responsible manager often has to wait and see if there are many reservations before adding employees to the schedule.”
Employer-employee solidarity?
This amendment of the regulation has had some effect on workers in various service sectors, who are normally accustomed to these unstable schedules. However, it also affects employers who often have to deal with uncertain traffic, depending on the season and the day of the week, before properly distributing the working hours. “Of course it’s convenient and enjoyable to have fixed shifts,” says Alexandra Menegazzo. “Previously it was set by seniority and experience. But I think employees also have to be understanding and help their boss. It is already difficult enough to make their establishment survive.”
Advocating flexibility and emphasizing the importance of teamwork in this job sector, the young woman adds that she would not decide to miss work because she had not received her schedule 5 days in advance. “Even if it is now my right, unless there is a last-minute impediment or an unforeseeable reason, I would still be at work,” she concludes.