The topic of employee meals is one subject where it can be said that there is no one right answer. Area policies reflect management philosophies, and the success or lack of it depends not so much on the type of employee-feeding system as it does on the overall organization and how well the organization adapts the particular system.
Regardless of management’s philosophies, every operator should recognize the problems and benefits derived and the controls necessary to implement a successful employee meal policy.
Cutting off the customer
A full-paying customer who is cut off by an area employee in a cafeteria line and then notices that the line-jumper pays less to the cashier can’t help but feel like a second-class citizen. The head-of-the-line privilege is often condoned by operators and adamantly defended by employees because the employee must return to work and has only a short time to eat.
A customer might be able to accept the situation if employees were seen racing back to their work stations, but he’s less likely to if he sees employees lounging around the lodge. If employees can be spared from their duty stations for only a short time the operator would be wise to make some provision to have their lunch provided on the job.
Identification and controls
Since virtually every ski area relies on some part-time staff, it is often difficult to administer an employee meal program without some kind of identification system. Without such a system, many “extremely occasional” workers and some purely pseudo employees will queue up for the benefits.
Even with required identification, which slows up service or increases the cost of service, the employees benefiting from the system often undermine it by passing their benefits along to their friends. This can result in significant ill will if the food operation is leased out and the lessor recognizes that he is losing full mark-up sales through these employee “purchasing agents.”
The use of coupon books can curb abuse of the meal policy by these occasional workers, but it is no safeguard against a bonafide employee passing his benefits on to friends.
Trading courtesies
Still another problem is the employee “club.” It all starts when friendships are paid off in “extended discounts.” For example, if the employee benefit is free beverages, then a food department employee might include a sandwich “this time” in consideration for similar courtesies from other departments.
It doesn’t take long for such practices to snowball into routine behavior and established norms. The situation becomes especially difficult when the operator attempts to reestablish intended polices, since the employees feel they are losing a previously established benefit.
Cost factors
When a employee is hired, he is taken on with the intent that he will generate revenue or a cost savings which will be greater than his maintenance cost. If an employee benefit is considered part of an employee’s pay, it too should generate a return greater than its cost. This expected return should be carefully analyzed and measured against the return of paying out real dollars to accomplish the same goals.
In calculating the cost of food benefits, the operator must include service cost as well as product cost. Only if the employee meal is utilizing idle food service employees should the cost of service be ignored. In addition, the operator should adjust the combined product-service cost upward to compensate for any opportunity cost incurred when the food service system is functioning to serve area employees instead of customers.
Rationalizing the benefit
The purpose of an employee-feeding program? In one word, it is morale. A sound, equitable meal policy which insures that each employee has the opportunity to obtain a nutritionally balanced meal should: 1) allow the employee to acquire the energy needed to perform the tasks for which he was hired and 2) make him feel that he belongs to an organization that “cares” about its employees.
Industrial psychologists and legions of home economists have proven the first point, that “you can’t run a car without gasoline.” And don’t underestimate the coffee break. Studies have shown that employees put in increased effort and take more interest in their work after a short break. The 8:30 friendliness of the lift attendant can be restored around 10:30 if the attendant has had his “second cup.”
Operators must be aware that meeting one’s daily nutritional requirements is not enough. Employees also need variety. If the area food service is the only place available to employees, provision should be made to insure that different menu items are available. This need not conflict with a limited menu concept if a daily special is provided which only repeats itself every eight days or more.
Keep it simple
The easiest way to control an employee meal policy, of course, is not to have one in the first place. However, given any policy, the program should be simple, easy for the employees to understand, specific to the last detail and cost less to control than that which it is trying to save.
There are many control techniques: special check-out stations, discounts only on daily specials, free beverages, employee meal tickets, etc. The most important thing to remember about any policy is that it is effective only so long as it is administered in a manner which is neither arbitrary nor capricious. If a rule is made, live by it (at least for one season), for once it is relaxed problems will surface.
Simply put, an employee meal policy should be consistent with management’s philosophy and the size and style of the area. It should make economic sense, be well defined and be easy to administer.—R.D.M.
