“Hey Team, take a look over this menu. It will be our initial cocktail menu, you will be tested on this info at a later time.” – my boss
At my current job as a server/bartender for a local brewery we are in the process of creating an official “bartender” position and that position will be pouring drinks only and not taking care of tables. We are doing this because we are making big changes from beer only to including mixed drinks.
The entire situation has been sketch because they are having us do “try-out” shifts (not classified as training) where we are not certain of how much we are being paid. These are to apparently see our “skills” however no information has been given on what exactly they are looking for, how we are being judged, etc. We don’t know how many bartender positions they are looking to hire either so it’s basically just a very competitive environment with no hard facts about what is going on.
I have repeatedly asked how much the bartender tip-out % will is and am trying to get information in writing from my bosses but they want to communicate everything verbally and refuse to lay out the exact details of how we are being paid even though we are being required to do these “try-outs.” I already received one paycheck which included a “try-out” shift and it didn’t appear to have included and tip-out % just my hourly wage and bar tips. I brought this up in an email and at our meeting but to no avail. I’m still in the dark and appearing to miss promised compensation.
At this point I’m losing money because if I had just done my shifts as usual (I’ve worked 2 bar shifts now) serving tables and pouring beers, and not been the bartender for the night pouring everyone else’s drinks for them I would have likely made several hundred more dollars. They keep saying they want the bartender to be the “highest paid position” thus everyone is trying to prove themself even when so much is still unknown. I feel like they are taking advantage of the situation and basically getting labor out of us unfairly compensated. We have to clock in as server/bartender as usual but are getting significantly less tips as we are working just as bartender and not getting the tip-out or even knowing what the tip-out is. Nobody has been given a job description, signed a contract or anything.
I’ve been told so many different things at this point from my bosses, and just found out from a coworker we are all supposed to do 3 whole “try-out” shifts each without knowing the details of how the tip-out will work. I’m getting so frustrated and now it looks like my boss is asking us to do learning/training on the new menu cocktails on our own time? And we’ll be tested for it?? So we have to do it for the job but it’s still not official training?
Advice please! I know they are doing illegal things, but exactly what are they doing wrong and how should I go about it? I’m already documenting things myself and trying to get things in writing from them, but I also don’t want to cause a fuss and then not get the “golden goose” bartending position because I’m the only one speaking out about the need for transparency!!!