Foodrunner Plate

Food Runner archive

In this edition, we’re bringing what lives in the dark into the light. The silent elephant in your kitchen, on the floor, and in the back office: mental health. In honor of mental health awareness month, let’s talk about it.

Read on to learn what “I’ll be there for you” in the workplace means, and how to help your team pivot in challenging times.
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BY THE NUMBERS

Long hours, high pressure, unhinged customers, and lack of sleep. There’s no question, the restaurant industry is a multiplier for poor mental health. Not 9 to 5 polled industry pros and found:

In a survey by American Addictions Center, food service workers reported how often they’re under the influence for the majority of their work shifts: 
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The industry shows a deep resistance to investing in employee mental health. Which is strange considering workplace psychological safety helps protect and unlock its biggest asset: its people. 

How can leaders tackle this? It starts with education about how to create psychological safety. Workplaces and teams thrive when people feel:

1) Included

2) It’s safe to learn

3) It’s safe to contribute

4) It’s safe to challenge the status quo

Read this article to learn why restaurants need to invest in employee mental health, and clear steps forward to take.
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TOGETHER WITH

Ever noticed a team member struggling, but didn’t know how to help?

It’s extremely common and it’s why we partnered up with Not 9 to 5, a global non-profit leader in workplace mental health advocacy for restaurants. 

Enrol in our free 7shifts Academy Course where Founder and Executive Director, Hassel Aviles, takes you through 5 training videos. You’ll become equipped on workplace mental health so you can recognize the signs that someone is going through a hard time, and know how to help.

“I believe this training should be required for all new hires, but especially those in a leadership position. Knowledge is only useful if it’s applied. Applying knowledge to your work environment IS the responsibility of a great leader and the difference between being great and mediocre.” 

– Dante Gregory, Cook at Pizza Ranch
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QUOTABLE

We know when folks feel safe, they can show up as they are. Here’s how some operators are creating psychologically safe workplaces:

“When it comes to safety, that comes to one of our core values of inspiration. We’re aiming to create an environment where you can ‘mindfully play.’ And that means being your true, authentic self. I think no one can feel safe in any environment if they can’t be their true, authentic self.”  

– Chris Britt, COO at Epic Restaurants

“Pay equity is a part of [safety] because, ultimately, we live in a capitalist society, and pay is so core that it can’t be ignored… I would also say feeling some level of empowerment in your role, feeling like your voice is heard, is significant. A baseline level of trust in management and in ownership is also fundamental, especially in a small restaurant.”

  – Stella Dennig, Owner at Daytrip
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SPOTLIGHT

Keep tabs on how your team is feeling

You can’t give employees the support they need if you don’t know something’s wrong. Use Shift Feedback to help identify workplace challenges your team is going through, so you can add to their solutions, not problems.
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FRIENDLY REMINDER

You’re not alone. There are entire organizations equipped to help deal with mental health issues in the industry. Post this Employee Mental Health Resource List in your kitchen or staff room for your team to access. It’s free!
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À la carte

You can’t always control stressful days, but you can control how you deal with the stress. Model and encourage your team to adopt these small healthy habits on the clock:

☕ Chill on the coffee guzzling, it’s stressing you out

🌳 Take outdoor breaks (not just to smoke), it’ll quiet your mind

👋 Get to know fellow employees, everyone needs a friend

🗣 Normalize talking about mental health and substance use challenges, it could save a life

Happier, healthier employees, AND a positive ROI on workplace mental health initiatives? Deloitte Canada found companies with:

💸 Programs in place for 1 year had a median annual ROI of $1.62

💸 Programs in place for 3+ years had a median annual ROI more than double at $2.18
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DEBATABLE

Q: Does the brigade system still have a place in the modern kitchen?

Quick (interesting) history lesson… Chef Auguste Escoffier famously created the five French mother sauces. But his other legacy was the “brigade de cuisine”. Escoffier transferred his experience from the French Army into the kitchen, defining and assigning over 20 specific cook positions. The goal? Clear purpose and maximum efficiency.

He successfully accomplished his goal, but what’s the trade-off today?

When the requirement is to fall in line and not ask questions, it can nurture a culture of silence and oppression. Hassel Aviles said, “[The brigade system] normalizes a hierarchical organizational structure that’s based on fear and authority. And while initially, in the late 19th century when this first started, it was meant to be in the name of efficiency, in actuality, it’s dehumanizing.”

She says a byproduct of this culture is that people are told that their emotional experiences have to be suppressed. “And there’s also a culture of mistakes being penalized and inducing shame around mistakes versus seeing mistakes as part of a natural human learning process.”

What’s your take on the brigade system?