No one wants weekend work

[LastOrdersMaura]

My friend has a cafe. It's in a central location with a good bus route, cycle route and ten mins walk from a huge university campus.
Despite the jobs being on Indeed and advertised on a local job site, no one is applying. Or they apply but say 'is there any negotiation on the days?' Why doesn't anyone want weekend work anymore? I would have thought there would have been college students, Uni students, mums/ dads who can only work when partners are home, retired people who are bored. Why is it so difficult to recruit?

I work part time as customer service in a garden centre. I get paid the minimum wage. A few of my colleagues transferred from the restaurant to work in customer service as they found it really hard work on the restaurant side. The pay in the restaurant is the same as what I’m getting. The restaurant are also struggling to get staff.
I think restaurant staff should get at least 50p or £1 more an hour. It’s a no brainier.

I meant no brainer.

It's not just hospitality that are struggling to get weekend workers. I worm in a shop that has been open throughout every lockdown and we have more staff than we know what to do woth during the week, but no one at weekends. Nobody wants weekend work.

Objectively jobs that are low paid and low skilled aren’t aspirational are they? Crap is harsh but can see why it’s used

Low paid != Low skilled.

Low paid is far more likely to correlate with jobs done by women.

In this case the combination of shift pattern, max hrs allowed with no break, lousy pay and maximum inconvenience stinks of a chain shaving down labour costs to a minimum. That in turn tells you a lot about how they value their staff.

I remember when I worked in an office years ago. I got time and a half for Saturdays, double time for Sundays and treble time for bank holidays.
Those were the good old days😌

@Snaketime

It's not just hospitality that are struggling to get weekend workers. I worm in a shop that has been open throughout every lockdown and we have more staff than we know what to do woth during the week, but no one at weekends. Nobody wants weekend work.

This is so strange. My DC would love weekend work. It’s what they are looking for and there are NO jobs near us! They (16/17) have sent their CVs off to so many places on the off chance and have responded to the few SM ads that have appeared. Supermarkets want 18+ and the very few replies they have had say they are fully staffed. They have great GCSEs and the oldest one has great A levels too. Still, nothing!

@JBaez

Need to move here people are desperate for staff. So many jobs it's nuts.

Haven’t read the full thread but my observations are probably similar to others:

For a 16-18 year old both weekend days doesn’t leave much time for study, hobbies etc.

NMW is rubbish, the 18 year olds I know are working in supermarkets for over £8 an hour with flexible shifts and discounts.

At least in a pub or restaurant you probably make more in tips to top up wage, which your less likely to get in a cafe.

I think Brexit

[quote lovelyupnorth]@JBaez

Need to move here people are desperate for staff. So many jobs it's nuts.[/quote]
Are you in a touristy area or big town/city?

JBaez
Have they tried agency work where it is one off events. Local football clubs and stadiums that do hospitality should tell them which agencies they go to rather set jobs with set hours.
Do they drive. Mine set up a business renovating furniture and throughout lockdown have been making money buying and selling.
There are so many ways you can now work that no teen should be unemployed if they don’t want to be. It isn’t necessarily about how many GCSEs you have but thinking outside the box and putting skills you learn on YouTube to good use.

It isn’t necessarily about how many GCSEs you have but thinking outside the box and putting skills you learn on YouTube to good use.

I understand what you’re saying! They have both just finished their GCSE and A level courses so are a bit institutionalised - college/school.
No, they don’t drive. Transport links are very poor here too which is a bit of an obstacle.

I think learning to drive is a huge plus. And getting out of the thinking that someone else is going to tell you what to do and pay you money to do it.
Mine don’t really have many GCSEs so know that looking for a f/t or even part time job which lists what qualifications the company is looking for is a non starter.
They know they aren’t going to climb the corporate ladder
They have carved themselves reasonable incomes and don’t really work every day.
Even at 16/17 they wouldn’t have looked twice at the advert requesting both Saturday and Sunday for 6 hours per day for minimum wage. Dd had been earning similar to both days work by assisting in ECAs for an activity she does.
She also did waitressing (through an agency) and sold shoes in a pop up shop, baby sat and 1001 other things

Everything is a day here and there

Yeah we are 18+ because they have to be able to serve alcohol and cigarettes. It is a weird thing because technically we are fully staffed but none of the staff will work weekends, Saturdays are especially hard to cover. I worked weekends for many many years, but with 2 young kids, a DH who works weekends until 10pm at night and no other childcare I can no longer do them.

It is why before mass migration some businesses offered time and a half for weekends.

@Creativenina

I remember when I worked in an office years ago. I got time and a half for Saturdays, double time for Sundays and treble time for bank holidays. Those were the good old days😌

Right. Bring back the 90s that’s what helped me buy my 1st house. When I go for office hobs now they pay less than they did 10 years ago and refuse to pay overtime.

It sounds like a lot of people here have never worked in hospitality. I got my first job in a bar/restaurant at 20. It was expected and absolutely made clear that you worked evenings and weekends, especially as a part timer. Only the full timers had that bit of flexibility where they could REQUEST a weekend day off (it was never guaranteed ). Weekends in hospitality are when it's busiest and it's all hands on deck. Such is the nature of the business. It's not like the public sector where you get overtime for evenings/weekends. I have a former colleague friend who now works in the NHS & takes all the evening /weekend shifts (with overtime!) going because others who've only ever worked Monday -Friday just won't do it. He says they're aghast at the very idea of working weekends! More money for him!

@disconnected101 the NHS might work overtime, nearly all public sector do not. I had a job working with kids in the public sector in the past, lots of weekend work, no overtime.
I know weekend work is expected in hospitality. But 12 hours over Saturday and Sunday on NMW is not attractive. Too few hours if you are claiming benefits, and better options in care homes if you want not many hours.

@disconnected101

It might be that you're expected to work weekends if you take a job in hospitality but ops friend can't even find anyone to take the job because it isn't attractive enough. For any jobs the benefits (pay, staff meals, perks) have to outweigh the negatives (the hours, the commute time, dealing with difficult people ect). In the case of the OP the benefits just aren't worth the drain on people's lives.

I'm happy to work weekends, but I refuse to do it for less than I'm worth, definitely not for minimum wage, in a job that doesn't value me. You're post talks like people are lucky to have these jobs, it's not that way anymore, there's not enough staff, let alone good ones, employers are lucky to have them. My workplace are lucky to have me, I'm a hard worker and good at what I do. If my workplace doesn't appreciate that I'll leave because there are 10 other places that will.

Sorry if I offended people with the term crap job. They were crap because the money was low and I worked like a dog.

But brilliant jobs in terms of experience, leaning useful skills and a good start in life. Work ethic, customer service, communication, time management, responsibilities.

Taught me a lot and I have worked retail management too so have plenty of respect for that career.

But still, getting to age 21-22 and never having worked can only mean you are privileged and lazy. In my opinion. I would urge all parents to encourage their kids to get a job for various reasons. It's competitive out there. Start building the cv because no experience is irrelevant

Just to add, I have a friend who is crap at her jobs and keeps jumping just before she is fired. Similar type low paid jobs. She has no problems finding another job.

@disconnected101

It sounds like a lot of people here have never worked in hospitality. I got my first job in a bar/restaurant at 20. It was expected and absolutely made clear that you worked evenings and weekends, especially as a part timer. Only the full timers had that bit of flexibility where they could REQUEST a weekend day off (it was never guaranteed ). Weekends in hospitality are when it's busiest and it's all hands on deck. Such is the nature of the business. It's not like the public sector where you get overtime for evenings/weekends. I have a former colleague friend who now works in the NHS & takes all the evening /weekend shifts (with overtime!) going because others who've only ever worked Monday -Friday just won't do it. He says they're aghast at the very idea of working weekends! More money for him!

But there's a big difference between working weekends in a bar or restaurant (where you earn decent tips) and working for NMW in a café in a department store where tips are practically non-existent.

I run my own business and occasionally work weekends (I worked this morning, for example) but it's my choice (and I frequently say so) and I certainly wouldn't do it for six hours at the minimum wage with zero chance of earning any extra via tips.

It's just not worth it for most people. And like PP said, 12 hours over two days means double transport costs which can be very off-putting.

If she's not getting any applicants, she needs to offer more money or make the hours and shifts more appealing in some way. Free food, better hours, shop discounts, uniform allowance etc.

People will need to start deciding whether they want people to be paid more than NMW or whether they want full english with drink for under fiver.

Customer demand on prices is also tied to the wages. People got used to very low prices

I would suggest she advertises somewhere that local 6th form school/college will see. Many of them will be finished now apart from exams /assessment exams which won't be long, but will be looking for jobs for the summer to save money for Uni.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

People will need to start deciding whether they want people to be paid more than NMW or whether they want full english with drink for under fiver.

Customer demand on prices is also tied to the wages. People got used to very low prices

Well said.