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Restaurant closing due to lack of staff in my area, anyone else?

CloudNull

Banned
People heavily overestimate how advanced Ai is, and how many jobs they will eliminate. look into the status of self driving cars, or robot cooks. They aren't as great as you think
Look at the code rewrite of the Tesla self driving. Fucking insanity and it’s only going to get better. Automation is knocking on our door.

There are fully automated warehouses being built and Toyota is building a city of the future. In 10 years the world will be a different place.
 
We have had 80 vacancies available for the last 3 months at our local distribution centre, which supplies the food for about 1/6th of our 800 stores. It also deals with all the waste and recycling coming back from those stores. Nobody wants these jobs anymore, nobody wants to do manual labour while under pressure for a small wage and it's causing us numerous problems. Shelves/chillers/freezers are starting to get empty and the stuff that is turning up is so late that it's on the verge of going off.

Essential workers like this need to be paid significantly more and soon, regardless of what anyone thinks of their skill level, else we're going to end up in deep shit when your supermarkets no longer receive their deliveries.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Look at the code rewrite of the Tesla self driving. Fucking insanity and it’s only going to get better. Automation is knocking on our door.

There are fully automated warehouses being built and Toyota is building a city of the future. In 10 years the world will be a different place.
A lot of automation also just changes the job. Whether there's a net gain or net loss of jobs who knows. Depends on the department. More people are getting hired (excluding covid year) and unemployment was at rock bottom, so job loss cant be that effective.

No doubt over the decades, there a trend down to paper pushers, admin staff and order takers. Even just 20 years ago, my old company had a department of old ladies taking phone orders from accounts and stores who didnt want to send orders by PC. I doubt its like that now.

My company now has 3 dedicated staff to handle flow and corrections to orders and invoices (all done through PC). As Ben Affleck said in Boiler Room, there's no Debbie the Time Life order taker here. So their role has dropped like a rock as Im sure decades ago there were more admin staff.

But in return, the back end team that handles SAP and ERP software to make sure it works, gets implemented (when new or updated), or when you got a data issue and need someone to look into it, there's a shit load of them out there to fix it. And it's not like they are all hired contractors. Most are in house employees working at US head office.

I'm sure most bg companies are like this. If you're a tech head whose good at software implementation and fixing code, you got some good job opportunities. If you want a traditional role doing paperwork and order taking, you're probably fucked
 
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Hulk_Smash

Banned
We have had 80 vacancies available for the last 3 months at our local distribution centre, which supplies the food for about 1/6th of our 800 stores. It also deals with all the waste and recycling coming back from those stores. Nobody wants these jobs anymore, nobody wants to do manual labour while under pressure for a small wage and it's causing us numerous problems. Shelves/chillers/freezers are starting to get empty and the stuff that is turning up is so late that it's on the verge of going off.

Essential workers like this need to be paid significantly more and soon, regardless of what anyone thinks of their skill level, else we're going to end up in deep shit when your supermarkets no longer receive their deliveries.
They’ll come back when they stop receiving Monopoly money from the gov. Shitty job>starving.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
They’ll come back when they stop receiving Monopoly money from the gov. Shitty job>starving.
The theory is lots of low level jobbers are skipping going back to their old job since covid gave them time to think about life and interview for better jobs.

If the theory is correct, give economies a few years to get back to normal pre-covid levels, unemployment rates should be back to record lows, and wages should shoot up big due to more people transitioning from fry cook to $50000 jobs. Census reports should show service sector jobs drop and better sectors all gain lots of jobs at their expense.
 
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Hulk_Smash

Banned
The theory is lots of low level jobbers are skipping going back to their old job since covid gave them time to think about life and interview for better jobs.

If the theory is correct, give economies a few years to get back to normal pre-covid levels, unemployment rates should be back to record lows, and wages should shoot up big due to more people transitioning from fry cook to $50000 jobs. Census reports should show service sector jobs drop and better sectors all gain lots of jobs at their expense.
I hope you’re right. Personally, I am doubtful for most people.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I hope you’re right. Personally, I am doubtful for most people.
If the theory shows everything is back to normal, it'll show the whole PR game of "covid payouts let people transition to something better" was BS the whole time. And just a stall tactic to milk the system for some free cash as long as possible before finally going back.
 

MrMephistoX

Member
Look at the code rewrite of the Tesla self driving. Fucking insanity and it’s only going to get better. Automation is knocking on our door.

There are fully automated warehouses being built and Toyota is building a city of the future. In 10 years the world will be a different place.
Yeah and it’s not wholesale replacement just fewer people needed. Like I could technically pay $60k a year for an AI database and do the job of three humans.
 

Chankoras

Member
If the theory shows everything is back to normal, it'll show the whole PR game of "covid payouts let people transition to something better" was BS the whole time. And just a stall tactic to milk the system for some free cash as long as possible before finally going back.
Isn't that a bit simplistic? Unemployment benefits can possibly cover life expenses in low paying estates and that explains some of the labor shortages, however in places like N.Y. is doubtful, also people have to get things like daycare, schools, etc set to be able to get back to labor pool. And finally who wants to work in an understaffed place with irate customers?
There is not simple answers, most likely a combination of factors even regional, like Brexit
 

zorg1000

Neo Member
As things go up in cost so do prices. So it's not like boosting everyone making low money has zero effect.

Here's a good site I found that does USA inflation math.


I looked at USA federal minimum wages over the years and took 1956 as a benchmark since it was $1.00 to make it easy.

If you type in 1956, using $1.00, you get $27.44. Thats 2644% inflation over 65 years at a compounded rate of 5.4%.

If federal minimum wage was set at $27.44 (and states went beyond that like now setting at lets say $30-40), the prices would be sky high and anyone making $27.44 would still be broke because a loaf of bread would probably be $10 and not $2. Anyone making $100k would probably be making $300k. The only way it would work out is if low end jobbers got a big boost and anyone making good money didnt really go up compared to now so the wage gap squeezes tight. The current USA avg wage is about $27/hr just by luck.
How did you come up with $1 in 1956 being $27.44 today?
 

RPS37

Member
They’re quitting. You can’t go on unemployment if you quit.

Just some thoughts for the front lines.
 
NC ended the fed aid as well and it IS bouncing back. Slowly.

Plus, what you said doesn’t make any sense. If they are holding out after the UE dries up, then how are the paying their bills?
Yeah Florida has no like no unemployment benefits really but I imagine most people in Florida who quit are on Onlyfans right now, sports betting, working for Amazon/doordash, or selling gatorade on the side of the road. We are survivors and entrepneuers. People just want to work their own hours
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Fuck, I'm an idiot. I forgot to press calculate! The site I used came out to almost the same number as you. Just under $10.

Your site is $9.72, mine is $9.99. So as a ballpark, let's say $9.85.

So all the federal minimum wage states of $7.25 is much lower than $9.85, but almost half of the states have a min wage $10 or more. As a whole I'd estimate the US has fallen behind the metrics we got from those sites, but not by a ton. Despite a min wage floor of $7.25 in many states, many businesses will pay more than that anyway even for bad jobs creeping closer to that $9.85-ish hourly wage from 65 years of inflation.

So IMO, the cost of stuff hasnt been blown out of proportion vs wage increases. Some things might have rocketed up, but if the overall wages are slightly behind then it shows other things probably havent gone up as much. Also, interest rates now are at record lows it's practically free money.
 
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BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
We have had 80 vacancies available for the last 3 months at our local distribution centre, which supplies the food for about 1/6th of our 800 stores. It also deals with all the waste and recycling coming back from those stores. Nobody wants these jobs anymore, nobody wants to do manual labour while under pressure for a small wage and it's causing us numerous problems. Shelves/chillers/freezers are starting to get empty and the stuff that is turning up is so late that it's on the verge of going off.

Essential workers like this need to be paid significantly more and soon, regardless of what anyone thinks of their skill level, else we're going to end up in deep shit when your supermarkets no longer receive their deliveries.

I wonder if this is related:

 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
Says I can't view it from the UK. We're really struggling for fresh produce though.

Some excerpts and a tweet from the article:



Anecdotal evidence, in the form of social media posts, presents shortages of a number of ingredients, including chicken, beef, tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce and both hot and mild sauces.

Employees at the restaurant chains many locations have also reported incomplete, late or missed supply deliveries, which have led to restaurants closer earlier than usual, with little to no notice for customers.
 
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NickFire

Member
The theory is lots of low level jobbers are skipping going back to their old job since covid gave them time to think about life and interview for better jobs.
This theory in this case is an advocate's argument masked in sheep's clothes.

In the real world, people are skipping going back to work because they make like 50k a year to not work right now.

No offense to anyone who buys into this theory, but um, where exactly were these better jobs that are allegedly now available to high school drop outs, you know, like before covid?
 
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Some excerpts and a tweet from the article:



Sounds like a similar situation, even though that's on the other side of the pond, kinda worrying.

For at least a week now my store has had several entire aisles that have been barren, like when the panic buying was happening, for; meat & poultry, vegetables and fruit juices. Also halve of the freezers are empty even though that's long life food.
It's not because it's not available, it's because there aren't enough workers to deliver it.
 
Sounds like a similar situation, even though that's on the other side of the pond, kinda worrying.

For at least a week now my store has had several entire aisles that have been barren, like when the panic buying was happening, for; meat & poultry, vegetables and fruit juices. Also halve of the freezers are empty even though that's long life food.
It's not because it's not available, it's because there aren't enough workers to deliver it.
Bruh my favorite pudding has been out for like two weeks now. I need my damn pudding.

Inb4 avatar quote :messenger_beaming:
 
Fuck, I'm an idiot. I forgot to press calculate! The site I used came out to almost the same number as you. Just under $10.

Your site is $9.72, mine is $9.99. So as a ballpark, let's say $9.85.

So all the federal minimum wage states of $7.25 is much lower than $9.85, but almost half of the states have a min wage $10 or more. As a whole I'd estimate the US has fallen behind the metrics we got from those sites, but not by a ton. Despite a min wage floor of $7.25 in many states, many businesses will pay more than that anyway even for bad jobs creeping closer to that $9.85-ish hourly wage from 65 years of inflation.

So IMO, the cost of stuff hasnt been blown out of proportion vs wage increases. Some things might have rocketed up, but if the overall wages are slightly behind then it shows other things probably havent gone up as much. Also, interest rates now are at record lows it's practically free money.
The bigger problem is everything is a fucking subscription service now. You've got rent+utilities (obviously), but then you're also paying monthly for internet, phone, streaming services, car payments, maybe Amazon, or a gym, or a who knows what. People finance their furniture, their appliances, their education. Everything is a monthly bill now. No one has any savings and no one wants to save to pay for anything up front. So everyone is on this debt treadmill.

People like to try and cast low income Americans these people who are doing everything they can just to scrape by. And often they are. But many, many make poor choices with their money, often because they just don't know better. So as more and more of society moves away from ownership towards subscription based money treadmills, more and more people will be forever stuck in their current circumstances.
 

zorg1000

Neo Member
Fuck, I'm an idiot. I forgot to press calculate! The site I used came out to almost the same number as you. Just under $10.

Your site is $9.72, mine is $9.99. So as a ballpark, let's say $9.85.

So all the federal minimum wage states of $7.25 is much lower than $9.85, but almost half of the states have a min wage $10 or more. As a whole I'd estimate the US has fallen behind the metrics we got from those sites, but not by a ton. Despite a min wage floor of $7.25 in many states, many businesses will pay more than that anyway even for bad jobs creeping closer to that $9.85-ish hourly wage from 65 years of inflation.

So IMO, the cost of stuff hasnt been blown out of proportion vs wage increases. Some things might have rocketed up, but if the overall wages are slightly behind then it shows other things probably havent gone up as much. Also, interest rates now are at record lows it's practically free money.
Yeah but let's use 1968 since thats when minimum wage peaked, adjusted for inflation. $1.60 in 1968 is close to $12.50 today.

Minimum wage has steadily declined since that time and it is now the lowest its been since 1949, with the exception of 2005/2006.
 

Winter John

Member
One of the local diner owners was in the bar today talking about his staff problems. He can't get no one so now he's been forced to close his place down at night. It wasn't so long ago he was king of the shit pile. Always boasting about how he'd chewed some guy out, or cut someone's wage packet because they pissed him off. I reckon he'll be done by November. The older I get the more I believe karma is a real thing.
 

Singular7

Member
After the next lockdown only McDonalds and big chains will exist.

I have 2 local restaurant owner friends -- 2 stores down, 1 about to close. The other company is dead.

In 2019 they were in the top 10 restaurants in my area.
 
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Singular7

Member
It's been pretty weird seeing how empty some shop shelves are just now.

The intentional destruction of the global economy (ok, maybe they're just very very dumb) does have consequences.

"covid-19" the response, will kills millions more than the cold itself.
 
How much does it pay? How are the benefits? How are the working conditions?
Well considering there's like 8 different positions open and benefits / pay depend on that... uh.

And if they sucked I don't think I'd be involved with it.

People are simply making more/equal on unemployment and are holding out for remote work jobs like they had a taste of with COVID. Also lots of unemployment/workplace injury hoppers.
 

Nobody_Important

“Aww, it’s so...average,” she said to him in a cold brick of passion
Well considering there's like 8 different positions open and benefits / pay depend on that... uh.

And if they sucked I don't think I'd be involved with it.

People are simply making more/equal on unemployment and are holding out for remote work jobs like they had a taste of with COVID. Also lots of unemployment/workplace injury hoppers.
Assuming that most people are just lazy and don't want to work is ridiculous. These are thankless jobs that come with little to no benefits all while not even providing a livable wage. People aren't taking the jobs because people don't want to get yelled at by angry customers while making minimum wage. These companies got too used to treating their employees like shit and/or paying them in pennies. Now they are paying the price.


Raise the pay and provide good benefits and I guarantee you that people would be scooping these jobs up left and right.
 

oagboghi2

Member
Assuming that most people are just lazy and don't want to work is ridiculous. These are thankless jobs that come with little to no benefits all while not even providing a livable wage. People aren't taking the jobs because people don't want to get yelled at by angry customers while making minimum wage. These companies got too used to treating their employees like shit and/or paying them in pennies. Now they are paying the price.


Raise the pay and provide good benefits and I guarantee you that people would be scooping these jobs up left and right.
I swear you people act like these jobs are slavery.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Assuming that most people are just lazy and don't want to work is ridiculous. These are thankless jobs that come with little to no benefits all while not even providing a livable wage. People aren't taking the jobs because people don't want to get yelled at by angry customers while making minimum wage. These companies got too used to treating their employees like shit and/or paying them in pennies. Now they are paying the price.


Raise the pay and provide good benefits and I guarantee you that people would be scooping these jobs up left and right.
Unless it's mom and pop stores desperate for help, big companies dont care. Many of them are at record profits due to covid and people buying stuff like crazy online. No front line workers needed. And if they need more warehouse workers to fill online orders, thats the transition in jobs. You can be a burger flipper for $11/hr or work your ass packing boxes in a humid warehouse for $11/hr. Your pick.

Thankless job or not, earn your money and dont be a leach still getting taxpayer money because a burger flipper thinks he's too good for work even though no company (or government department) want to even offer $15/hr to work the mail room or cut the lawn in public parks during the summer.

I can understand an athlete demanding $20 million from which ever team wants to open up the wallet for an all star player, but for zero skilled people acting like a grocery store job (something a high school student can do as a PT job) is beneath them for their zero skill resume, then fine. Dont work. Have an even worse resume and be appreciative the rest of society gets up in the morning to work and pay taxes to cover your ass getting up at noon.
 
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Davey Cakes

Member
I swear you people act like these jobs are slavery.
You should read up on the Frito Lay strike that’s going on right now. Horrendous working conditions and forced overtime have driven people to the picket line because, yes, their jobs basically turned into slavery.

It does not surprise me at all that some folks are taking time to reevaluate their approaches to the work world. It’s become clear that a lot of companies just don’t give a shit about their employees.
 
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oagboghi2

Member
You should read up on the Frito Lay strike that’s going on right now. Horrendous working conditions and forced overtime have driven people to the picket line because, yes, their jobs basically turned into slavery.

It does not surprise me at all that some folks are taking time to reevaluate their approaches to the work world.
Can you quit? Yes/No?

The answer to that question pretty much sums up if it’s slavery.

And how does one factory in who the fuck knows where mean anything to a nationwide labor shortage?
 

Davey Cakes

Member
Can you quit? Yes/No?

The answer to that question pretty much sums up if it’s slavery.

And how does one factory in who the fuck knows where mean anything to a nationwide labor shortage?
American Airlines basically created their own labor shortage. Those people actually wanted to keep those jobs but bad decision-making at the top (even after the company was bailed out during the pandemic) led to said shortage.

Completely different case, but it still shows why this shouldn’t be attributed just to the workforce.
 

oagboghi2

Member
American Airlines basically created their own labor shortage. Those people actually wanted to keep those jobs but bad decision-making at the top (even after the company was bailed out during the pandemic) led to said shortage.

Completely different case, but it still shows why this shouldn’t be attributed just to the workforce.

Agajn, one company. Just like your Fritos lay factory.

Nationwide we are seeing job opening out outpace job seekers. Unless I’m supposed to believe every job that doesn’t hit 70-80k annual salary is “slavery”, this argument doesn’t hold water.
 

Chankoras

Member
Unless it's mom and pop stores desperate for help, big companies dont care. Many of them are at record profits due to covid and people buying stuff like crazy online. No front line workers needed. And if they need more warehouse workers to fill online orders, thats the transition in jobs. You can be a burger flipper for $11/hr or work your ass packing boxes in a humid warehouse for $11/hr. Your pick.

Thankless job or not, earn your money and dont be a leach still getting taxpayer money because a burger flipper thinks he's too good for work even though no company (or government department) want to even offer $15/hr to work the mail room or cut the lawn in public parks during the summer.

I can understand an athlete demanding $20 million from which ever team wants to open up the wallet for an all star player, but for zero skilled people acting like a grocery store job (something a high school student can do as a PT job) is beneath them for their zero skill resume, then fine. Dont work. Have an even worse resume and be appreciative the rest of society gets up in the morning to work and pay taxes to cover your ass getting up at noon.
I think is more about business model than business size, retail has been on a decline, and covid accelerated that trend.
And now that there's a labor shortage people are demanding more money and being somewhat successful as many places are offering better wages, what's wrong with that?
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Agajn, one company. Just like your Fritos lay factory.

Nationwide we are seeing job opening out outpace job seekers. Unless I’m supposed to believe every job that doesn’t hit 70-80k annual salary is “slavery”, this argument doesn’t hold water.
If I was a low life jobber I'd be taking one of these openings and get back to work. Not just for the ethics of working and not being a weasel living off other people taxes (which deadbeats think it's their right to live off other people), but if any of these businesses are struggling with filling roles and you put up your hand and do it, not only will get the job but like a brownie point for promotion later. If these jobs are supposedly so empty, you have more control to do it your way too instead of being told how to do it.

Thats the great thing about working at jobs where bosses rely on your to do a job but it's basically you and maybe a small team with you to do it. You get the flexibility to do it your way. The bosses typically dont care how its done as long as you do a good job and everyone likes it. They got other things to worry about.

Show some initiative.
 

Davey Cakes

Member
Agajn, one company. Just like your Fritos lay factory.

Nationwide we are seeing job opening out outpace job seekers. Unless I’m supposed to believe every job that doesn’t hit 70-80k annual salary is “slavery”, this argument doesn’t hold water.
$15 an hour is only a little over $30k a year, and that’s the bare minimum people are asking for with a shit ton of pushback.

A living wage, job security, and improved working conditions would get people back into these positions.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
$15 an hour is only a little over $30k a year, and that’s the bare minimum people are asking for with a shit ton of pushback.

A living wage, job security, and improved working conditions would get people back into these positions.
And some people will get a pay bump. Many wont.

Every store I go to has self checkouts. Doesnt mean every single store in that chain does yet, but it's slowly transition store by store basis. Even Costco has self checks outs for buying stuff. And now self check out for the snack bar! You order your food on a kiosk like McDonalds. I dont think you can even order walk up anymore as it seems like all the workers are cooks with no cashier role.

If the average low end jobber thinks it's risky enough to fight the wage fight, with possibility there's no job left or they get taken out by a self check out machine (I use them all the time as they are great except for weird stuff like price match where a worker does a manual override), then thats ok. Fight the fight.

Just remember youre at the bottom of the pecking order for skills where $3000 check out kiosks are worth buying and installing. And online sales are growing and so is Ubereats and DoorDash orders. So unless someone is good enough to score a wage bump or is willing to work an Amazon warehouse or deliver Skip The Dishes take out wearing out your car, I'd be setting aside the ego of self worth and get a job like normal.

Youre not a star athlete where every team in the league is calling your agent.
 
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oagboghi2

Member
$15 an hour is only a little over $30k a year, and that’s the bare minimum people are asking for with a shit ton of pushback.

A living wage, job security, and improved working conditions would get people back into these positions.
We are currently seeing companies offer more than that, and still people aren't applying. So what is the magic number where people decide to get up and actually work? And how long before those same people say their job is miserable and they shouldn't do it anymore.

Also why are people always assuming every business can afford that? Sometimes a position isn't worth 15, 20 or 30 dollars dollars an hour. People just flippantly say "pay them more" as if money falls out of the sky
 
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