Hours & payroll

Policies related to team member time and pay

Pay

Wages

Mention the policy on declaring/pooling tips, when staff will be paid, and how they will receive their paychecks (direct deposit, check, etc.).

Define how you’ll pay employees (cheque, direct deposit) and the frequency of payment (bi-weekly, monthly).

→ add link to guide to set up direct deposit, as well as how-to for setting up an account with the HR system

Overtime

Cover your restaurant’s overtime policy and policy and provide notice to your employees of their legal rights.

Define what constitutes overtime and how staff should log over time when they reach a threshold. An an employer, you’re obligated to pay overtime (1.5 times their regular rate of pay, also known as “time and a half”) when an employee works over a weekly hourly threshold and during some federal holidays.

Time

Time tracking

Which software should employees use for scheduling, if any? When will they be given their schedule for the week? Do you have an on-call policy? Review applicable local, state, and federal law and consult an attorney for guidance.

Begin shift - when & how to clock in

End shift

Clocking Time

Whether through a POS that clocks hours via a personal employee code or on a sign in sheet, outline how employees should clock in and clock out of their shift so that you have a detailed, formal record of their hours worked.

Breaks

How often do employees receive breaks, how long do those last, and where should they take these breaks?

If an employee has worked a certain amount of hours, they are legally entitled to a shift break. While you can make it policy to give staff additional breaks, you must adhere to minimums set by states and provinces.

Shift scheduling

Switching shifts

In your employee handbook, set out your policy on switching shifts. You don’t have to overcomplicate this policy. Most restaurants choose to ask staff to obtain managerial approval within a minimum time frame. For example, you can switch a shift 48 hours in advance of the shift, pending managerial approval.

Booking days off

An employee may want to book a day off. For restaurants that are open seven days a week, this won’t constitute a vacation day. Rather, the employee is requesting to schedule their required shifts around a certain day. E.g. A staff member will still work the five weekly shifts you require, but they’d like to reserve Tuesday as their day off. In order to manage and accommodate requests, require staff to place their requests before you create the weekly schedule. Outline this process in your handbook to avoid last minute requests that could result in inadequate staffing.

→ build a time off request button

Requesting time off

How soon do employees need to request time off? Do you allow employees to switch shifts?

Missing a shift

Do you allow or require absences for weather, sickness, family emergencies, etc.? When someone misses a shift, will it count against their record? Should they call management and alert them or are they responsible for finding coverage on their own? Review applicable local, state, and federal law and consult an attorney for guidance.

We expect you to show up on time and be present for the full duration of your schedule working hours. Of course, life happens. If you have an emergency that prevents you from coming into work, contact your manager at the first available opportunity.

Minimum time

Many restaurants don’t specify a shift-end time. Indefinite shift-end times allow you to accommodate staff needs on busy nights because you can keep staff on until the traffic dies down. Conversely, indefinite shift-end times allow you to contain labor costs on slow nights, by cutting staff as soon as customer traffic wanes.

To protect employees, some labor laws require you to compensate scheduled staff members for a minimum amount of time, regardless if they work that minimum time or not.

In your handbook, define the minimum number of hours you’ll compensate staff for if you cut them early. This way, they’re assured they’ll be compensated for their time, regardless of the duration of their shift.

→ not a thing for us here in illinois ~i think ~