Employer’s Guide to Employees

At some point during your operations, you will realize that you cannot do it all. You cannot be manager, supplies manager, owner and operator at the same time. It is at this point you need to have assistance. You need to find employees that share the same vision and perseverance you have for your hot dog cart business. It is for this reason that great care must be taken in hiring and firing employees. (You’ll never know when some kid’s uncle is a hot shot lawyer with time on his hands and a grudge against hot dog vendors or the mayor, chief of police, newspaper editor, Health Dept. director, etc.) But seriously, many potential problems with employees can be avoided by following a few simple and reasonable steps. These guidelines are important even if the employees are family members. Always remember once business hours operate, it is employer and employee and not familial relationship that governs the business.

The employees are a company’s most valuable asset. That’s why large companies have departments called Human Resources devoted solely to managing this crucial resource. Many companies with incredible products failed because they mismanaged their human resources. There is a method to utilizing these resources to meet their full potential. The best course is Selection, Education, Direction and Prevention.

Selection

Choose only quality employees that look and act the part. Don’t be pressured or rushed into hiring. Check references. Referrals from friends and acquaintances are always your best source for good employees. Look at their resume and experience. When you interview them, do ask for particular instances that may come up during their stint with you that they may have encountered in the past.

Education

Teach them what is expected of them and how to do the job required of them. Show them how to do it and then have them do it themselves while you observe. Give them all the tools needed to do their job. Include written directions such as the “Hotdog Cart Operations and Maintenance Manual” and the “Health Guidelines”. Once you see the one with the most capability to learn, enlist them to join in the training for the health department certification. There they will fully understand their role and function in the business.

Direction

Give kind dignified correction when necessary and commendation for a job well done. Do not berate your employees for mistakes. Just make sure you reiterate the proper process in order to keep things in the proper order. Check up on their performance regularly. Reward excellence. This will help motivate your employees to do their best at all times. It is also important that you keep your promises and you show your appreciation for their hard work by putting in a good word or an incentive plan for them. Lead by example.

Prevention

Have them read and sign the “Employee Rules of Conduct” and the “Dress, Deportment, and Hygiene Code”. This ensures that your personnel are fully aware of the their duties and responsibilities, do’s and don’ts during their tenure under your employment. Quiz them to ensure these rules are clearly understood. This can only help your business, as the employee is fully aware of the allowed behavior in the business area. This will prevent many problems and misunderstandings so long as you have everything out in the open. If there are violations, give written warnings for any serious violations or problems and have them sign it and you keep a copy. Also, have a yearly performance evaluation as this helps to iron out misunderstandings and identify areas for improvement. Firing is a last resort. Never fire in anger. Always maintain a calm, serious and professional bearing, as this is the hallmark of a professional businessperson.

Here are some more suggestions in finding and dealing with employees:

Finding and Interviewing, Hiring and Firing

Where to Look for Good Help:

Referrals:

Referrals from friends and family are the best source as the candidates are known and easily checked. Good employees or former employees are another source. Ask if this person is someone they would be willing to work with. Good people know good people. If you have reservations about this, do remember that the personal relationship you have with the person that referred them is outside the realm of your business relationship. Thus, make it clear that once the referral is made, the referee serves no influence or control over your decisions in the long run.

Classified Ads:

Place classified ads in the local newspaper “Help Wanted” section. This will likely draw a lot of response but a lot of the response will be unqualified or poor quality. You will have to sift through them carefully. Before going through the pile, do make a checklist of the minimum requirements for the job in accordance with the qualifications outlined in the job ad. This would make your search a lot easier and less time consuming.

Schools:

High schools, colleges, universities and trade schools are a good source for part-time, weekend and seasonal help. This may often be the proving ground of your eventual permanent hiring of the individual employee. They often have a job placement center or a job bulletin board. Place an ad on the job placement bulletin board. Make a personal appointment with the job counselor if they have one. Or ask a teacher or professor whom they would recommend. Clearly outline the job and the kind of person you want. They will often give you a list of quality candidates. Do remember though that this kind of employment is temporary in the short run as these individuals still prioritize their schooling over the work.

Community Organizations:

Boy scouts, church groups, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, etc. usually know of bright young people looking for work. Often, these individuals would be properly trained and easy to accommodate into the workplace. They also have the acumen to work with you.

Government Employment Agencies:

Unlike private agencies, these services are free to both employers and employees. The best results occur by talking personally with a placement officer. Similar to the job ad placement, you would need to sift through all the resumes of these individuals to get the most qualified for the position.

Help Wanted Sign:

Posting a sign on your vendor cart will draw a lot of response but also may prove time consuming. It would also be a distraction to the proper business at hand at your food cart. It may attract a lot of poor quality respondents, as walk-ins may not have the proper skills or capacities to handle the job. At the same time, the applicants will have a very clear understanding of what the job entails as they see for themselves the actual work in progress. Do tell your prospective applicants that they need to set aside another time for the interview and other application processes so as not to be in the way of your patrons.

Once you have all of the most qualified individuals at hand, make a shortlist of who you think is best able to help your business and is an asset to your fledgling conglomerate. Keep records of all good applicants in case any don’t work out or have to leave. This would include names and phone numbers. This would help you in your immediate search for new help and leave no dislocation in your business plans.

Be clear and direct about the job description and hours of work. Do not sugar coat it as you will just waste your time. It would also lead to false promises for your new employee and thus result in a fractious relationship built on disappointment and frustration on both of your ends.

Interviewing:

You need to interview your prospective applicant to get a feel of the capacities as well as demeanor of your prospective employee. Ask questions to determine what kind of worker they will be. Ask about past work history and why they left those jobs. These can give you an idea on the motivations of your employee as well as be able to cross check their declarations in their application for employment.

Another important aspect of interviewing is going into the past work experience of your prospective employee. Get at least 2 references from previous employers and check them. If these references are reluctant to answer questions or the applicant is reluctant to provide them, this is a clear indicator of a bad employee. Ask the previous employer if they would hire the person again if they are unwilling to provide details concerning the reason the person left their company. Sometimes people feel guilty for dismissing someone and will want to help him or her find replacement work so beware of vague details or evasive wording. If you can not reach any of the references previous employers ask for another. If they can’t provide, do not proceed. This may be a sign of falsity on the part of your prospect and this cannot be helpful for your company.

How a person dresses when appearing for an interview or applying for a job is a good indicator of their quality. If they don’t appear clean, presentable, respectful, honest, reliable, personable, etc., for the interview, do not proceed. The interview should be a gauge of the individual’s willingness and drive to work and how they present themselves is a way to determine this.

If they are late for a specific interview appointment, it is a good indicator that they are unreliable. This will show how they would be on a schedule and being late shows they cannot be trusted on the simplest of things.

Qualify the applicant for the job they will be performing. For example, role-play as a customer to test whether they can add up the prices of various items and provide correct change. This can test how they react to instances and stress especially when they become your representative at your food concessionaire stand.

Give the applicants a clear picture of what is required of them and spell out their earnings potential. This will avoid having them quit after a few days because the job didn’t meet their expectations. Only hire after they have been informed of and agree to the rate of pay, hours of work, and when you will pay them. It is best to lay these all out on paper and have them confirm this as proof of their understanding as well as their acceptance of the job offer.

Ask them if they have any reservations or difficulties about the job and its requirements for them. If you find that they are the best ones for the job, you may be able to meet them halfway to accommodate their reservations.

Hiring:

Have the new employees read and sign the Employee Rules of Conduct, the Dress, Deportment, and Hygiene Guide, and the Hotdog Cart Operations and Maintenance Manual. Review it with them and clarify with them items outlined in these important matters. Stress upon them the importance of these items in their line of work.

Give adequate training and supervision. A good rule of thumb is to work with each new employee for at least three (3) days before sending them out on their own. Train them by having them do the work while you watch as opposed to you working and they watch. People forget what they see but remember what they do. Hands on training is the best form of instruction. Also, schedule them for the training provided by your local health department, as this would certify them as food servers.

Even the best employees can develop bad habits if not supervised. Give correction, direction and counsel as required. But do not always look over their shoulder and have fear based work environment. It is best that you discuss with them how best to improve their technique and skills so you can better improve your system altogether.

Avoid vague and subjective instructions like “keep the cart clean”. Instead, give specific instructions such as “wipe down the cart every 30 minutes”. Have the daily work assignment checklist on hand each day so that they can see what they need to do during the day.

Any serious shortcomings should be handled in writing. See the Employee Warning Notice. There must also be a discussion afterwards on how best to improve their behavior. This feedback process is important for the growth and maturity of your individual employee and the business as a whole.

Give commendation for work well done. The best way to do this is have certificates of their work done and if allowable, incentives for them to attain the company’s goals in their work performance.

Two part time workers may give you more security and flexibility than one full time worker. This can ensure that the individuals work and not have a stagnant and bored employee going through the motions day in and day out.

Firing:

You can be held liable for certain penalties or even legal action if you terminate an employee without good cause or adequate warnings. As an employer, there are laws on the proper manner of termination of employees.

Employees should be warned in writing prior to termination. The warning letter must be properly received by the employee. In some states, the employee is given the opportunity to respond to the letter. See the sample Employee Warning Notice. Keep a record on file of these. Verbal warnings for smaller infractions should be noted in their file. Another aspect is a periodic performance evaluation of the employee’s work in order to see what areas of improvement need to be worked on for the betterment of the employee.

Employers may be laid lay off or terminate employees because of lack of work or to meet other staffing needs provided that the decision to terminate is not based on age or race. Often, this is due to bankruptcy or unforeseen business reversals that affect the overall income of the company. If an employee is laid off at the employer’s convenience, he/she can usually collect unemployment insurance, for which a fee is paid by the employer. Proper documentation is needed in order to provide the employee a cushion for the sudden loss of income.

If the employee is at fault, the employer does not have to pay any penalties. Employees can be fired for “good cause” which generally means unsatisfactory job performance.

Good Cause is determined by a 2 part evaluation:

1. A test of reasonableness. Was the employee terminated for failing to carry out a reasonable rule of the employer? For example, having the employee make correct change for a customer is a reasonable rule.
2. A test of knowledge. Did the employee have knowledge of this rule? Employees cannot be required to comply with rules of which they have no knowledge.

These two tests are important to determine if the act is a terminable offense. If the employee fails in any one of these, then this is considered good cause for termination and falls within the ambit of the law.

Keep forwarding addresses of all employees and former employees. If dealing with minors such as teenagers, get the addresses of their parents. You may need these for mailing forms at year-end.

Have the terminated employee sign the termination form as a condition of receiving their final pay cheque. This ensures your protection from any frivolous suit that may be filed because of the termination.

2) Dress, Deportment & Hygiene Code

Appearance Guidelines:

(Dress for Success)

A person’s overall appearance must be neat and clean to convey the attitude of professionalism required of the food service industry. The following are some good general guidelines for American hot dog cart s:

Clothing must be clean without stains. Have a fresh change of clothing each day.

Clothing should not be frayed or worn out.

Shorts are permissible but no cut-offs, short shorts, or bikini bottoms.

Short sleeve shirts are permissible but no bikini tops, halter tops, or muscle shirts.

If the vendor does not have his own company shirts or hats, those worn must not have logos or messages that are offensive. Clothing without such logos or messages is preferred.

Males must be freshly shaven.

Hair must be clean and neat.

The cash apron must clean and neat.

Health Code Guidelines:

(Food Focused Healthy Hygiene)

Poor personnel hygiene, especially lack of or improper hand washing, is the number one cause of food borne disease outbreaks in the United States. It is also very preventable. In this case the old axiom “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is very true. One such incident could ruin your business. It is for these reasons that health certifications are mandated of all food handlers to show that they are not carriers of food borne diseases and thus infect others with the food they handle.

The following are typical health code guidelines for American hot dog carts and these must be followed and strictly adhered to:

Fingernails must be clipped and clean. Long hair must be tied back, pinned or contained in some manner so as to prevent contaminating food.

Do not touch the food with your bare hands. All food should be handled using gloves, tongs, forks, spoons or other utensils.

Hands must be washed after using the toilet, coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, using the phone, handling money, garbage or any or unsanitary or toxic item.

Hands must be washed upon re-entering the work area (the hotdog cart) even if you have just washed them in another place such as the bathroom.

You must also wash your hands after eating, drinking, smoking, washing dirty dishes or other equipment, handling raw meat or other food, or even before putting on gloves to handle food.

Hands must be washed using hot water and soap and lather for 15-20 seconds and then dried using a single use towel (such as paper towels), a clean towel on a roller dispenser, or by an air dryer. Do not use a multi-use hand towel such as is used at home.

The use of gloves should not be seen as a means to short cut proper hand sanitation. Gloves can also pick up and spread germs. You would not use gloves to handle raw meat and then also to serve cooked food as this would transmit bacteria from the raw food to the cooked food.

No smoking or tobacco chewing. (It is unsanitary around food, violates health code guidelines, and conveys a casual unprofessional attitude)

No chewing gum. (It also violates health code guidelines and conveys a casual unprofessional attitude)

Do not eat or drink when serving food. You must leave the food preparation and serving area for any of these activities. Move a short distance away from your cart. You must wash your hands when you return.

You are allowed to drink from a closed beverage container (such as with a lid) while in the food service area. It must have a handle to prevent your hand from touching the area that your mouth will touch or it must have a drinking straw. Wash it between uses or discard it.

Do not work with food when you are sick, sneezing, have a runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, dark urine or yellowing of the skin (jaundice) or fever. Do not handle food if you have an infected cut or burn, pus or boil. Wear gloves over any cuts, abrasions, or burns.

Clothing must be clean and not allow cross contamination between raw and cooked foods.

Sample Employee Rules of Conduct

Employees must arrive at work on time and ready for work.

Employees must arrive at Vendor location according to the prescribed schedule.

Employees must conform to the Vendor Cart Dress and Deportment Code.

Employees must read and conform to the guidelines provided for workers in the food service industry including instructions on personal washing, cleaning equipment, and handling food.

Employees must be able to safely and efficiently operate all of the equipment used in the operation of a hot dog cart. Employees must be able to provide proper food services to customers in a timely and profitable manner.

Employees must always convey a friendly positive professional attitude especially when dealing with customers.

Employees conduct, hygiene and dress must always conform to the standards required of the local Department of Health for the Food service industry.

Non-employees are not allowed behind the cart. Non-employees are not allowed to operate any equipment.

Employees must be able to consistently and accurately charge customers the correct amount for the items purchased and give back the correct change.

All monies collected from sales will be deposited into the cash box at the end of each working day or shift.

All monies collected from sales will be counted and logged at the end of each working day or shift. An inventory of remaining foodstuffs will also be counted at this time. Any reasons for discrepancies should be noted in writing at this time.

Employees will not borrow from the company cash box.

Employees will not sell any unauthorized products of their own from the food cart or on company time.

Employees will conform to the posted menu prices and will not extend special pricing to any friends, relatives, customers or themselves unless authorized by the company owner or supervisor.

Employees are required to maintain business confidentiality. Employees are not to discuss details of our business with non-employees such as sales volume, product costs, sources of supply, location or event plans, etc.

Any thefts of products or money will result in the employee’s immediate work termination and will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

Any departure from the above guidelines may result in the employee’s immediate work termination.

This instruction guide is binding and is to be read and signed by each vendor cart employee and kept on record by the company owner.

Employee Signature: _______________

Employer Signature: _______________

Date: ___________________

Sample Employee Warning Notice

Employee Name:______________________

Date:_________________

This is a written warning of improper work conduct as described below. Failure to correct this conduct could result in disciplinary action including dismissal.

Details of improper conduct:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Corrective action necessary:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Has the employee been warned about this before?:____

Dates: ____________________________________

Warnings were _______ oral _______ written.

Employee Response: I hereby acknowledge that I have been informed of the misconduct and corrective action as described above. My response, if any, is included below:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Employee Signature:_____________________

Date:__________________

Employer/Supervisor Signature:_____________________

Date:__________________

5) Employee Termination Notice

Employee Name:______________________

Date:_________________

Termination Effective Date:_________________

Reason for Termination:

____ Voluntary (resigned)

____ Involuntary (fired)

____ Released

____ Laid Off

____ Other.

The employee listed above is no longer employed and has been informed of this.

Additional details and comments:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Employee Termination Statement: I have resigned for the following reasons:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Employee Signature:_____________________

Date:__________________

Employer/Supervisor Signature:_____________________

Eligible for Rehire? ____ Yes ____ No

Additional details and comments:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________