HELP: Looking for Employee Code of Ethics!!!

[QUANTUM CLUB]

I am new on the board and I am in the process of opening my first club with a group of partners. I have been asked to devise a code of ethics for our bar employees. We are planning to have about 100 employees staff a 24-hour bar/restaurant. Any help in providing a list of rules (or, code of ethics) that can be applied for our staff would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Thank You.

Mike

[Cheek]

That would be nice to have. Anyone with something like that please share the wealth :)

[doppelganger]

isn't that what WE all are actually defining by these discussions?

Isn't not in the right format but we are all serious about ethics.

shall we write one?

[QUANTUM CLUB]

I think it would be great if we had a "standard" code of ethics that could be applied to most bar/restaurant staff situations. It could start with "thou shall not steal" type slogan. But, I remember seeing a "code of ethics" discussed & displayed on this board about a year ago. It was about 3-pages in length.

[mix]

i think if maybe everybody chipped in with some guidelines with explanations or scenarios, there could be a great benefit

dont rattle them off like you got them from a burning bush... but let us know the situations (experienced or hypothetical) that required you to instill these policies.

being in the booth, i cant contribute much, but i do work part time for a consulting company and can swap ideas with them.

[Andrew]

HUGE task but very noble. where does one start?

[Securitygeek]

I have one. I applied it to my security staff, but it goes for all employees.

Thou Shall Not Lose thy Temper.

It goes without saying, but I can't count the number of times I have seen a waitress go off on a customer. Granted, usually the customer in question was an ass, but that is what management is for. Have them seek out a manager if they are getting pissed about a customer. For security, I always have at least two people confront a patron that is out of line, that way if the patron starts pissing someone off, the other guy can "tap" him out and take over. It helps to avoid staff/patron altercations.

[QUANTUM CLUB]

Thanks for the suggestions...Please keep them coming.

Mike

[David]

A Code of Ethics. Hum. Something like Be Nice or Be Gone. What do you have in mind.


Tag you're it.....

[QUANTUM CLUB]

I have been told to use a Employee Handbook from HardRock Cafe, Planet Hollywood or TGIF as a model to devise my own code of ethics for the bar. I have also been told that this is something that is about 40-to-50 pages thick!!! Do we have any volunteers willing to share or "donate" this valuable information to our forum???

Thanks.

Mike

[lounge5575]

in all of my research so far, there seems to be a lot out there in reference to help and advice re:employees. some companies will actually handle all of your human resources so that you are not tied into it, however, i think that through time and thought, one can come up with a bottom line of ethics that are EXPECTED from their emplotees. because the restaurant/bar business has a history of high turnover, you probably want to have a core group of solid employees that can pass on your rules by example, rather than trusting that a newly hired employee will read a handbook that lengthy. also, from my experience, there should be no grey areas in hiring/firing. dont make exceptions, and stick to your guns. once off the clock, treat them as equals. but, also give them something to work towards. whether you can establish special perks for employees on site when they are off, an after shift free drink, or whatever you choose, we all like to be rewarded. look into some psychology books on how you can keep it all cool, obviously you will have a mixture of personalities, and all will thrive on feeling rewarded and successful. build a solid team and learn from that, expecting that more rules to follow means more rules to break.

[QUANTUM CLUB]

Thanks for your replies...All good advise.

[raypatel]

my ideas on your codes of ethics is keep an eye on your emplyees by deparments. Let's take the bartender for expample. Observe them while conducting business. If their flirting with customers too much then put that in your book. My overall suggestions is to research all departments in your club and take notes on their behavior towards customers. By the time your done, you will have a manual of code of conduct.

Hope this helps

Ray Patel

[Andrew]

raypatel, thanks for your input but your introductory comments make we wonder what you mean... WHAT is, referencing your example, "too much flirting"? the poor person could be falling in love with someone, that's the sort of place owners must dream of, you never know, eh? [NO CLUB ROMANCE? mmm...]

Put *what in ye book? [not a "shame file", i hope, as that's un ethical, in my book]

You must mean::just observe::*w*a*t*c*h*, and if little alarm bells go off in your head then put +what you reacted to+, in the book.

Then ask the staff for their opinions on what is fair, equitable and why [for their area of responsibility, as you suggested]. Hey, some smart employee may even write it for you/with you

[mix]

andrew makes several good points

i would say, visit a few establishments... a few different venues on a few different nights... visit a few of each type.

see yourself as a customer first, but one with a huge understanding of the behind the scenes. treat yourself almost as a spotter. i have spotted many many times for the consulting company i work for. by doing this, you will see things that others do that turn you, as the customer, off... then, write your code of conduct and include these items.

for example, maybe you walk into a sports bar, your waitress takes forever because she is too busy eating to take your order. maybe she wanst relieved for lunch, maybe shes just a fat@$$, doesnt matter. in my opinion, and other professional opinions, employees should never eat while in view of customers. sanitary reasons and blah blah. eat in the back, or take off your uniform and hide in a corner booth.

bartenders flirt to make money. bottom line. girls do it, guys do it, its the nature of the beast. let it go, but watch overly friendly bartenders with certain customers. you dont want a male bartender buying his way into some hot blondes thongy thongs by hooking her up with free booze.

overall, you see it, you dont like it, you write it down. if you dont like it, chances are others dont either. dont let your employees do things that make people want to look elsewhere. if you need help drop me a line.

[G-Dog]

The more rules you create the more administration (management) must go into the project. Management does not increase profits!

Try something very simple. Be careful about putting things in writing. You can write something with one intent and have it be used against you.

There are companies that specialize in HR outsourcing, from writing job descriptions and employee manaulas to actually taking all of the "HR" risks. You might engage in some research for these type of companies.

If you are in a non-union area, your rules are really the only ones that matter. It sounds like you have 'parners' or other people involved. All you need to do is come to an agreement about proper ethics.

A starting list for me looked like this.

Come to work on time
Stay til you are done
do what you are told
enjoy the job or work somewhere else

If you and your people enjoy the job, there will not be any ethical questions.....legal perhaps....but not ethical since you will have all agreed on the same ethics.

Did this help?

If you are set on having a book, try any major company in the area. There are many many many books written on ethics in the workplace. I have worked for three large corporations, all different in the marketplace, but all cut from the same book. The best regular books I have read are "ZAPP! The lightning of EMplowerment" William C Byham (leadership focus), and "How to Become A Rainmaker" Jeffrey Fox (sales).

[Milk]

We made a Policy & Procedures manual for all of our positions.(Bartenders, Barbacks, Waitresses, Security, Floor Operations, and G.M. Operations) In our P & P's are our codes of ethics for each position. Good Luck.

[alcoholcontrols]

Mike,

Sounds like everyone had some great ideas. If you care to read more about bar and club operations check out my bookstore.

Good Luck

Alcohol Controls, Inc. Bookstore (http://www.alcoholcontrols.com/bevmanbook.html)

[Andrew]

The advice is priceless but the services are not