Publix deli/store policies baffle and confuse me
I've been a Publix deli employee for about a month and a half now. I am 36 years old with over 20 years of kitchen and management experience doing everything from dishwashing to line cooking to sous chef to front of house manager to even a general manager for a time. I have experience in food and customer service.
I am starting at the bottom at Publix because, well frankly, there isn't another option for moving up. that aside, I've noticed Publix has some of the most wacky policies I've ever seen in a kitchen. here are a few that had me raising my eyebrows.
1: any and all facial hair must be covered by a beard net. Lets me honest, men grow facial hair at different rates. some guys can go unshaven for a month and barely grow a stubble and other guys go straight up jungle man in a week. typically the policy regarding facial hair at any kitchen I've ever worked at, including HOSPITAL kitchens, is anything over 1/4" must be covered by a beard net. Not Publix. if your manager can see fuzz, expect to get told to wear a beard net. I find this policy baffling as I know guys who clean shave before work and by the evening have a noticeable 5:00 shadow. Do they just have to wear a beard net every day regardless just because of their genetics? additionally I know dudes who never grow beyond like 1/8" and keep it trimmed neat and are still told to wear beard nets. basically if your face isn't as smooth as a babies bottom, get that net on. I find it baffling, intrusive and over controlling.
2: no drinks while on the clock, PERIOD. Every kitchen I've ever worked at has had a designated drink station for workers. it gets hot around those ovens and dryers and cooks get dehydrated. without constant access to water, you're liable to get sick, thus kitchens typically have a shelf set aside somewhere away from food ingredients, clearly labeled for employee drinks. even the health department approves of it as long as it's properly labeled, clean and there are no food products or chemicals stored there. not Publix. no drinks while on the clock period. thirsty? need a drink? there's a fountain across the store by the restrooms. Do you think the cook l who's already running with seconds to spare is going to degloved, run across the store for a quick slurp, run back, wash up, reglove and get back to work? no, he's just going to forego hydration and push through. I've already seen kids sweating their asses off and clearly needing a drink but they're denied it. backwards ass policy, it NEEDS to change. it's literally a potential health hazard to not have access to drinks on shift.
3: nobody leaves during a closing shift until the entire store is finished, at which point all employees leave at once. This one I KIND of understand but I still think it's egregious. We close at 9, done by 10 but often there are employees from other departments running around finishing up tasks and we just sit by the LOCKED front door waiting for the MIC to round up everyone and walk us out at once. I have yet to leave a 10pm shift before 10:15. the average is 10:30. maybe have departments leave together, or employees leave in pairs but keeping everyone stuck at the door for up to half an hour? ridiculous. we have lives. some of us live 30-45 minutes away.
those are the top three wild things I've seen but I'm making a list of weird but less egregious policies I may share later. just thought I'd rant. not sure if it's worth my time moving into management at this company.