Pros
Keep in mind this is for working at a Google site and may be different at other contractor venues. - Unionized, prevents absolute terrible abuse often found in food work - Because we are unionized, we have ridiculously good benefits (Did you know insurance doesn't have to have a deductible? Me neither.) - Steady schedule with no random shift changes or filling in for night shift at last minute - Uniforms provided for cooks and dishwashers, shoes included for all positions - Safety focused to the point that most are annoyed by it; each day generally has one policy reviewed in a group meeting - Each location has one meeting per day to keep everyone up to speed. While not entirely organized post-pandemic, this still maintains an effort to keep everyone informed - Large amount of staff that may experience language barriers elsewhere but are welcomed here - Two free meals a day! Free snacks on site - Great flexibility in changing positions (baristas can become cooks, dishwashers can become servers) very easily. New positions and promotions are shared internally first to allow associates an easier time moving through the company. - Takes food safety very seriously, ingredients, especially allergens, are reviewed and made accessible to all before food can be served - Prior to pandemic: well organized, everyone knew what their tasks were and who to ask for help or clarification - Prior to pandemic: associate level staff's birthdays were recognized, we were publicly thanked for going out of our way or contributing to the team - Prior to pandemic: purposefully "overstaffed" so when someone was sick/on vacation the workload wasn't intensified to the point of overwhelming us, we were busy but never had to skip breaks - Prior to pandemic: Lots of freedom and creativity allowed in recipes, and associates were encouraged to voice their ideas or even supply a recipe they want to share - Prior to pandemic: standardized uniform that still allowed for self-expression; tattoos and piercings were allowed and openly accepted, hair can be any color so long as it stays out of the food
Cons
- Being reminded on a daily basis of being a second-class citizen to a bunch of tech bros - Client is allowed to demand food for themselves, their family, their neighbors, and their three dogs to take to go but we're threatened to be fired on the spot if we take a coffee for the drive home - Recent increases in the cost of living were not even remotely matched by raises because "the union set your raise rates" (there is nothing in our contract preventing the company from going above those rates, they're a minimum to ensure we don't receive pennies) therefore many staff have to get a second job to afford rent/groceries/gas - any company that cannot pay it's employees a basic living wage should be ashamed - When the lack of living wage is brought up to management, they tell us "our free benefits are so good though;" they are not free, we pay union dues, the union fought for these benefits and it is impossible to pay rent with healthcare or fill my stomach with dental coverage - The reliable consistency of schedule and service volumes bores a lot of food service staff that thrive in chaos, or simply have ADHD; for some, stability is monotony - Despite it being against company and union rules, sexual harassment is often overlooked or brushed under the rug; there are many times it's taken seriously but less so nowadays - Management, being non-union, don't fully understand the contract and don't take the time to learn until you sit down and explain it - Despite having a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee (comprised entirely of management staff), management has been openly racist with little to no consequence - Post- pandemic: Management is understaffed and overworked at best, and simply apathetic or self-absorbed at worst, leading to their stress trickling down to the point of them throwing literal tantrums - Post-pandemic: Organization is no longer a priority and it's a chaotic, mad scramble to accomplish the basic requirements given to us because of a lack of foresight (occasionally this is just being shorted by suppliers, which is understandable, but it's too consistent to be just that) - Post-pandemic: Staff are seen as a tool to be utilized rather than an individual human, see all other cons - Post-pandemic: Breaks are more of a privilege than a right, overtime is expected if not fully assigned (especially in the large city campuses), the walk-in is officially used for crying and breakdowns, we have temps coming in to supply hands but we waste the whole day training them only for them to never return, SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWORKED - This coupled with the necessity of a second job to afford to live has increased burnout and made turnover absurd - Post-pandemic: Unless you "mess up" your assigned recipe, there is zero room for creativity or expression through your food, and the recipes are either horrible (soup that tastes like salted water) or the measurements are severely miscalculated (30lbs of chicken to serve 300 clients and their guests) - Post-pandemic: Retroactively changed uniform policy to align with draconic views from the 1950s, self-expression is discouraged, we are asked to look like clones - Post-pandemic: Staff have threatened to shoot other staff based upon their culture with no action taken by management