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?

Paying more for 'antisocial' hours is standard. ha! No it isn’t, hasn’t been a thing since the 90s.

I work in retail. I hate working weekends, everyone who works weekends hates it.

Plus I agree why would you want to mix with the general public for minimum wage if you’re unvaccinated. I think the young people should’ve been vaccinated 1st really.

I'm sorry, but you cannot be an eighteen year old with no experience and expect to get more than MW

I'm sorry but you can't be an employer and expect to pay NMW for unattractive work and anti social hours.

DS works for McDonalds, a superb employer, who provide all clothing, meals on shift, good working conditions and training and who have been amazing through lockdown. He gets well over NMW. That's what she's competing with.

@Palavah

Is she paying more for weekends?

Seriously?

Is she advertising the jobs on her own business Facebook page? If you do that, people tend to tag friends that are looking for work, share it to local groups and so on.

Paying more for 'antisocial' hours is standard.
ha! No it isn’t, hasn’t been a thing since the 90s.

Exactly - it petered out when eastern European countries started entering the EU and travelling to the UK to work, because the huge influx of labour willing to work and hours at rock bottom pay meant there was zero competition for workers and employers were able to reduce what they offered.

You misunderstand - pensioners don't get bored 😂 We love having a long lie in the morning and eating lunches out . Work ?😂

I mean, this is one cafe. Doesn't necessarily represent the country as a whole. I've had a lot of interest in my minimum wage jobs for my coffee shop in London so maybe the place isn't that nice or has a bad reputation ?

@FasterthanBolt

This is the sort of job my DD will be applying for as soon as she's 16. Although anecdotally I have heard that she may struggle as many people want flexibility - core hours Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon or whatever, but also flexibility to cover holidays or sickness on other days of the week. And she doesn't have that, as she's at school *@RaspberryCoulis* the exact same happened with my ds. Applied for a job that stated weekends only, was offered the job then told he would have to be available to cover absences during the week which he couldn't do due to college. The owner then got very cross with him for not telling her he wasn't flexible enough before the interview (she knew he was at college studying A Levels!)

This sort of thing is rife in hospitality and retail. You’re expected to be available every day even if you’re contract is something like 6 hours or less. The phrase moon on stick springs to mind.

My two have been applying for every job they can, so it’s obviously not local to them.

I do think people are hesitant to work for small employers in hospitality. With all of us being a little unsure about what next winter will bring and the amount that went under in the last year most people are plumping for the big employers that can weather the storm (hopefully) if it comes again.

My niece is looking for a parttime job and all of us have told her to go for the bigger companies. She will be earning and has no problem (after a long discussion about entitlement at 17 ) with earning NMW but its the security of the larger companies.

Not fair on the smaller I understand that but everyone is opting for security mostly at the moment

Our youngest (18) would like weekend work this summer but won’t be applying until he is fully vaccinated (asthmatic). Imagine a fair few may be holding off for the same reason this year.

I left hospitality at the end of the summer because after 10 years, that summer broke me. People were awful, absolutely awful, and I'm not talking about occasionally, it was every day, constantly being shouted at, mocked, belittled and humiliated because of the changes that had taken place and the differences in what people are used to, and because I'd had a few months "holiday at the expense of everyone else" it was deemed acceptable to be abused.

Heard so many similar stories from people in the industry too, lots have also left for that reason.

There were loads of threads on here about "The furloughed " and how they should be doing other jobs etc. Well they are, and they don't want to go back to being abused daily for, with a higher workload, for minimum wage and no job benefits.

I work in care now, and it's bloody hard, but you couldn't pay me enough to go and work in hospitality again. Employers need to start supporting their staff instead of it just being an acceptable part of the job and to be expected, and respecting their employees, and make it clear that customers are expected to do the same.

I could see this coming for a while now, people don't want to work in hospitality any more, it's an awful job at the moment.

Indeed and job sites aren't the right audience. She needs to advertise locally: post office notice board, news agent notice board, Facebook, 6th form colleges, catering colleges etc. Use contacts, and ask around. Pay above standard, offer training, and access to courses such as first aid, food hygiene. Offer perks such as a free staff lunch etc. Most importantly get known as a employer who treats staff well.

my DD 19 needs a job. I hope for her sake that when she gets home from uni that no one else is interested!

Given its near the end of the University term, presumably those students who are around won't be interested or any use as they'll be off again in a few weeks? And those whose family homes are in the vicinity won't be back yet? I'd definitely go for local facebook, but also try again in a few weeks when students are back home, and kids at school are thinking of work over the holidays.

She needs to advertise directly on the university page on Facebook , that's where my daughter found her job in hospitality , the restaurant didn't bother with Indeed. Lots of students will be 2nd year and will need a job .

I'm currently looking for a job which fits around my family and would happily apply!

I used to work weekends and holidays in the hospitality sector when I was a teacher for extra money. I now have children, don't teach anymore and have found ways of earning online.
Most people don't want to work every weekend so maybe offer one weekend off out of every 4 or work every other weekend.

I would look at where she is advertising this job - that is likely the problem here. I imagine it is not hitting the target audience effectively.

Do people look for part time weekend work on the job boards you mention? Try other avenues - notice boards, shop windows, other job boards, facebook groups etc etc.
Do some research - find out where a local 6th former /student/ cafe person would look for work - is it really on Indeed?

Peanutbutterandbananatoastie

FasterthanBolt

This is the sort of job my DD will be applying for as soon as she's 16. Although anecdotally I have heard that she may struggle as many people want flexibility - core hours Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon or whatever, but also flexibility to cover holidays or sickness on other days of the week. And she doesn't have that, as she's at school
@RaspberryCoulis the exact same happened with my ds. Applied for a job that stated weekends only, was offered the job then told he would have to be available to cover absences during the week which he couldn't do due to college. The owner then got very cross with him for not telling her he wasn't flexible enough before the interview (she knew he was at college studying A Levels!)

This sort of thing is rife in hospitality and retail. You’re expected to be available every day even if you’re contract is something like 6 hours or less. The phrase moon on stick springs to mind.

And this is a well known problem too, employers want a part of your soul and demand total flexibility, but due to zero hours contracts will send people home after an hour, or cancel at the last minute (I've been cancelled whilst traveling to work) or you go weeks with no shifts.

I work a weekend day each week and a couple of evenings too (some days as well but they're far better) and they a definitely less sociable you also get a different type of customer and it's just different at weekends. It tends to be busier (even Sunday, Sunday's can be wild!) and more challenging for no extra benefits and it's every single week.

As people have already mentioned, if you simply aren't getting any applicants it's because the work isn't worth the compensation (money), up the wage slightly (I'm paid £9.37 p/h but have seen other similar positions at £9.06 p/h) and they might see a change.

Also, what are the hours offered? Is it just 8 hours (1 day) or more? While you might attract a student on 1 day a week you are unlikely to attract an adult with other responsibilities however if it's 2 days (full weekend) then you're unlikely to attract someone with a family or any sense of wanting a weekend.

I think you're friend needs to think more about what an employee finds attractive in a job. Very few people want to work all weekend, even students and even fewer people want to work all weekend for minimum wage. I think she needs to work on making the job more attractive as well as considering making the weekend work part of the weekday employees jobs so you aren't hiring someone just for the weekend unless it's what they want.

She needs to advertised on local FB pages.
All the year 11 leavers are crying out for jobs around here.

If she pays appropriately then she will get applicants - the days are gone when most businesses (even "small") are going to have to pay more than minimum wage. If they don't want to then your friend will have to do the work themselves.

I did read in the Times last week in an interview with one of the famous male chefs that the expectation that you work horrendous hours in the hospitality industry is not there anymore. I worked in a hotel as a student and the hours and working conditions were awful . I absolutely want my kids to get part time jobs but it would have to be an ok environment and working conditions and not impact on their studies. I would also say that that pay would not be the main factor ( as long as over the age related national minimum wage). Gaining work experience can be hugely beneficial for young people but only if the conditions are right.

I’d say the risky nature of working in hospitality nowadays from both mingling with unmasked seated customers and the possibility of losing a job due to future restrictions makes it unappealing to most people if they can avoid. It’s going to be interesting to see how low paid jobs like these will become less favourable in time for most people.