cut my hours and take on new staff

pinkshoes

Personally I'd find another job, then tell her she can cover ALL your hours and leave.

It's the cook that makes the business, not the owner, so you'd think she'd start being nice to you, given it wouldn't take much efforts for the standards to slip...

SarEl

pinkshoes wrote: »

Personally I'd find another job, then tell her she can cover ALL your hours and leave.

It's the cook that makes the business, not the owner, so you'd think she'd start being nice to you, given it wouldn't take much efforts for the standards to slip...

Or the OP could slap her around the head - oops, sorry, wrong thread! But I understand on good authority from this board that cooks slapping people around the head is quite normal behaviour Apparently it has something to do with stress and the heat in the kitchen....

sue_mac_2

unfortunately she is the one who can't stand the heat in the kitchen. Her business is not at risk and with my efforts, last year was her best year ever. People like my food. If I can find another job I will definately leave but its a rural area and my age goes against me. She doesnt see that even if she gets another cook there is no guarantee they will be able to do what I do as she obviously can't and she has someone now who can do the job, never has been off ill and is totally reliable. she doesn't deserve what she has.

SarEl

sue_mac wrote: »

unfortunately she is the one who can't stand the heat in the kitchen. Her business is not at risk and with my efforts, last year was her best year ever. People like my food. If I can find another job I will definately leave but its a rural area and my age goes against me. She doesnt see that even if she gets another cook there is no guarantee they will be able to do what I do as she obviously can't and she has someone now who can do the job, never has been off ill and is totally reliable. she doesn't deserve what she has.

Of course, you could set up in competition with her!

SueC_2

Frankly, looking at it from her point of view, I completely understand why she would want to recruit an additional Cook.

At the moment she has a business which is pretty much dependent on one person. She's been very fortunate in that you have been so reliable, haven't taken sick leave, have surrendered your holidays, worked additional hours etc.

But what if that weren't to continue? What if you were to resign? What if you were to fall over and break your arm? What if you were to take the holidays you are entitled to? What if the stress of it all were to become too much for you (as it is for her)?

With you being her only Cook (and knowing that she can't step in and take the pace herself) she has no fallback plan. If you were suddenly not available for work for any reason, she has no contingency whatsoever, her business would fail. No right-minded business person would feel comfortable knowing that could happen, which is why, having identified the problem, she is now trying to do something to prevent the possibility.

As others have said here, unfortunately you have no 'right' to the additional hours you have been working. Accepting that, I would suggest that you take the view that the expansion of the company is actually a good thing for you. Not only does it mean you CAN take holidays etc, but it also means the company will be more secure (therefore more likely to support you if you do go sick etc), which is a situation that benefits your long-term employment.

It also means that, ultimately, the company is in the position to be able to expand further and get busier - because there is now additional manpower and resource. I don't know the nature of the business, but potentially you could find that the hours available actually increase because there will be 'room' for them to increase - you won't be working at full-stretch as a base point.

I think she is doing absolutely the right thing, and you would do well to assist her and help to grow the business further.

Blobby8_2

Suck it up or walk I'm afraid. Cooks/chefs change their jobs all the time and most are slightly mad anyway.