5.5 Teaching Notes
Winifred Athembo; Nikhil Garg; Richa Kabaria; Sarah Kulewksa; Celine Wai Shan Li; Deirdre Maultsaid; Simrenprit Parmar; and Lesli Sangha
Note to teachers
The scenario deals with sensitive and controversial issues. Discussions may be upsetting for some students. Please provide context and background information about employee anxiety, stress and mental health issues, especially background information that challenges common assumptions. This background information will help prepare students for a robust but respectful discussion. Please see the background information above and bibliography below or seek other sources from your own diversity and inclusion specialists, mental health and counselling staff, or other educational supports.
What will students discuss?
As relevant to course learning outcomes, students will discuss any of the following:
- mental health at work
- employer obligations
- stress and anxiety at work
- verbal abuse at work
- social hierarchies at work
- “kitchen culture”
- employee incentives and recognition
- employee retention
- hiring practices
- job descriptions
- human resources
- employee training
- occupational health and safety
- customer service
- the restaurant industry
- the hospitality industry
- the alcohol industry
- small businesses
- small business ownership
- leadership
- internal communication and organizational culture
- other relevant topics
Students may suggest various courses of action for the characters in the case:
- Students may argue that the part-time employees should band together and ask for help from the more experienced employees.
- Students may argue that the employees should politely request kitchen training and a set work schedule from the manager.
- Students may argue that the employees should directly speak to the owner about the issues in the restaurant and bypass the manager.
- Students may argue that the owner (Roman) should improve the overall business and may have suggestions for how to do so.
- Students may argue that the manager has the right to demand quality work from employees.
- Other ideas.
