Do You Really Need A Restaurant Employee Manual?

In the restaurant business, you hire employees a lot – and finding and keeping the right people takes time and
effort. You don’t want to repeat the process more than you have to.

A detailed (but not complicated) employee manual makes training easier, sets expectations for employees right from the start, gives them the confidence to do their job well, and retains more employees in the long run.

Every Team Role Needs A Manual

By outlining clear instructions on how to perform their job responsibilities for each position, employees know what’s expected of them from the start. It decreases their stress levels, making them feel more confident in their role, significantly impacting productivity and customer service. For you, it saves time but also prevents costly rehiring that can result
from inadequate training.

In short, an employee manual is important and can make a significant difference in the success of your restaurant.

What To Include For Success

A restaurant employee manual is a reference guide for employees with questions or concerns about specific policies or procedures. It also provides some legal protection for you; it clearly spells out your policies and procedures, so there isn’t confusion. If you need to reprimand or fire someone, your manual allows you to defend your decision.

You do not need to overcomplicate its creation. I suggest a simple Word document to get you started. You likely have some of the content you need in other documents you’ve created. And, if you’ve trained previous employees, consider the process you have gone through. The next time you are hiring, take the time to document it all as you progress.

Key sections

• Company’s Mission Statement and Core Values: Share your vision, the company’s culture, and what you want your restaurant to represent in the community. It serves as a reminder of what you stand for and what your customers desire.
• Employee Responsibilities and Expectations: Outline the expectations for new employees in each specific job position. You will create this section for front-end, back-end, and customer service tasks. Define each role’s responsibilities, including job duties, information about all the technology they’ll use (POS systems, etc.), and expected behavior from staff members. This section will differ the most depending on the role you are covering. The other sections will likely all be the same for each position.
• Health and Safety Procedures: Promote the safety and hygiene protocols that must be followed by all employees. Include information about food handling, personal protective equipment, and other restaurant health and safety procedures.
• Policies for Serving Alcohol: If alcohol is served at your restaurant, this section of the employee manual is important as it outlines policies for serving, storing, and handling alcoholic beverages. It should include age verification requirements, guidelines for preventing over-serving, and other relevant regulations.
• Discrimination & Harassment Policy: Explain how you address instances of discrimination or harassment in the workplace. It should provide clear examples of unacceptable behavior so employees are aware of the policy and their rights under it.
• Scheduling and Time-off Policies: Outline the specifics for scheduling, taking time off (including vacation days, sick days, and personal days), attendance expectations, timekeeping procedures, and staff meetings.
• Workplace Rules and Regulations: Provide your rules that employees must follow while at work, such as dress codes, breaks, reporting of workplace injuries, smoking, or drinking policies, use of technology, cell phone policy, and more.
• Grievance Procedures: Explain how employees can file a complaint or grievance if they feel their rights have been violated or believe their concerns have not been addressed. Provide clear guidelines for submitting a complaint, what steps will be taken in response, and any other relevant information regarding the process.
• Termination Policies & Procedures: Outline the policies and procedures related to employee termination. Share the reasons why an employee may be terminated and any processes that must be followed when terminating an employee, such as providing notice and offering severance packages.
• Benefits & Compensation: Define the benefits offered, such as health insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, meal breaks, tips, uniform stipend, etc. It should also include information about salaries and wages and any bonuses or other forms of compensation.
• Other Policies: This section can include other policies specific to the restaurant, such as dress codes, emergencies, theft, internet usage, and employee conduct. Depending on your local laws, additional topics may need to be addressed to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

An Effective And Comprehensive Restaurant Employee Manual

A well-written manual provides clear expectations for employees, reduces turnover, and can even protect your business from situations that may arise. A well-crafted employee manual ensures consistency across your staff and maintains a healthy and productive work environment.

FREE Training

If you need help finding and hiring AWESOME staff for your restaurant, I previously conducted a live training on exactly how to find, attract and hire staff for your restaurant. Click the button below to watch the recording. It will only be live for the next 7 days.