‘Boss laughed’ at pay rise request

Experienced hospitality worker Ellsie Coles says when she asked for a pay rise recently, her boss ‘‘laughed in [her] face’’.

Coles was a restaurant manager in Christchurch, who saw that newly hired staff with less responsibility had started on a higher wage than her. When she asked for a raise her boss offered her 35c, so she instead decided to quit.

She said it seemed that, all across the hospitality industry, businesses desperate for staff were offering great starting rates for new hires, and neglecting their existing staff.

‘‘If they are so desperate for staff they need to make sure their existing staff sticks around first. They have dug themselves such a big hole paying new people more. Why should I stay if they clearly don’t value me?,’’

The combination of many hospitality skills being transferable, and it being rare to receive a pay increase, had led many hospitality workers to change jobs, she said.

Coles found a job as a barista, with fewer hours, less responsibility and a wage of $4 more an hour than her previous role.

‘‘I have no sympathy. These businesses are all complaining about their senior staff leaving, but that is because they are not offering them any incentive to stay,’’ she said.

Founder of Raise the Bar hospitality union Chloe Ann-King said issues of low wages and staff mistreatment had plagued the industry for decades.

But now the rising cost of living was bringing back into the spotlight just how overworked and underpaid many workers in the hospitality industry were, she said.

‘‘Pay rises are almost unheard

Hospitality worker

of in our industry. The businesses are calling it a ‘labour shortage’, but we call it a wage shortage. It is a shortage of employers willing to pay staff fairly,’’ Ann-King said.

Ann-King pointed to an AUT study into the experience of hospitality workers that found 48% of hospitality workers had never had the opportunity to ask for a pay rise.

‘‘We deserve to be compensated for our mahi. Despite what politicians or business owners tell us, our jobs are highly skilled and we deserve better.’’

The Restaurant Association has launched an industry accreditation program, HospoCred, to reward businesses that meet employment standards.

The standards include paying employees the minimum wage, having a regular performance and pay review system, and plans for employee training in place.

‘‘Why should I stay if they clearly don’t value me?

Ellsie Coles