Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops?

radcen · May 13, 2012

Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

Aunt Spiker · May 13, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

That depends on the atmosphere, required dress.

Generally though - in a setting such as a kitchen I don't think it's very safe to wear open-toed shoes. I wouldn't allow it; I'm not having your toes severed for the sake of those ugly roman-sandle hooves But if you're at a tiki bar on a beach anything moer than a flip flop would be sacrilidge.

specklebang · May 13, 2012

A certain health law violation, at least on this planet. I mean PLANET AMERICA of course.

radcen · May 13, 2012

In the interest of full disclosure, it was a Mexican restaurant.

Real Korimyr #9 · May 14, 2012

Unless they're cooking with their feet-- which would be a much bigger problem-- I really have no idea what the problem would be.

Be more worried about the employee's health than the customers'.

sharon · May 14, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

Unacceptable...............

Mya · May 14, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? .....

In all honesty, the idea doesn't appeal to me.:thumbdown

SmokeAndMirrors · May 14, 2012

Viktyr Korimir said:
Unless they're cooking with their feet-- which would be a much bigger problem-- I really have no idea what the problem would be.

Be more worried about the employee's health than the customers'.

Yeah, this. How exactly are their feet going to wind up tainting your food? I'd be way more concerned about kitchen accidents causing the employee burns or losing a couple toes.

Sharing the joys of living alone with a couple of friends, one of them mentioned "cooking naked." While I understand the sentiment, after having worked in a kitchen, there is no way I'll cook in anything less than a shirt, pants, and slip-ons. I've seen people get really seriously hurt even wearing full sleeves and pants, and it would have been even worse if they weren't.

The pressures and potential for accidents when you're just cooking for yourself are obviously far less but, call me paranoid, some of the hideous disfigurments I've seen people wind up with after cooking accidents are just burned into my brain.

Republic Now! · May 14, 2012

Depends on the restaurant. Normally, no, flip-flops are not proper attire, though, if the theme of the restaurant, or the atmosphere called for it, I wouldn't oppose.

Ultimately, unless your employer requests you wear flip flops, I would avoid them.

Goshin · May 14, 2012

I hate flip flops with an unholy passion.

First there's that noise they make when you're walking.... that annoying, rythmic slapping noise that makes me want to slap someone.

Safety? Ever went for a walk with someone wearing flip-flops? Every time I have they "walk right out of them" every 100 yards or so... not something you'd want to do if there was any risk of stepping on sharp items.

Guy I know was trying to walk down a muddy slope in flip-flops.... he lost one (big shock), then in trying to stop himself his other 'flop become mired so throughly that when he slid and fell (big shock) it wrenched his ankle, breaking it and tearing the achilles tendon.... it took three surgeries and two years for his ankle to get fully restored.

I hate those things... when I am Ubermeister Allesfurher of the Seven Realms, they will be banned and all flip flops will be cast into the flaming lava of Mount Hottenfooten.

KevinKohler · May 14, 2012

It was just the hostess....they never handle food, are never in the kitchen, etc.

Depending on the state, however, they are likely legally required to wear closed toe shoes. Flip flops are no less sanitary than anything else you can put on your foot...the bottoms hit the same ground even if they wear boots, or heels, or tennis shoes. It's more a liability for the restaurant on account of that employee being unsafe. A spill that would not hurt, is going to seriously injure someone with exposed feet. Or if you drop a knife...or steak fork...or plates...or a pan...

specklebang · May 14, 2012

Then what's the deal with the ever present NO SHOES NO SHIRT thing about?

radcen · May 14, 2012

KevinKohler said:
It was just the hostess....they never handle food, are never in the kitchen, etc.

Depending on the state, however, they are likely legally required to wear closed toe shoes. Flip flops are no less sanitary than anything else you can put on your foot...the bottoms hit the same ground even if they wear boots, or heels, or tennis shoes. It's more a liability for the restaurant on account of that employee being unsafe. A spill that would not hurt, is going to seriously injure someone with exposed feet. Or if you drop a knife...or steak fork...or plates...or a pan...

Wanna bet?

iliveonramen · May 15, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

It depends...under certain circumstances maybe not a huge deal. If it's like a beach place or something not so much. Fit's with the aura.

disneydude · May 15, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

violates OSHA rules. Its a safety issue.

Aderleth · May 15, 2012

radcen said:
Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops? Acceptable? Not acceptable? Does it matter if the employee is a hostess?

Back in the day when I worked in restaurants it would have been deemed unprofessional, unsanitary, and unsafe.

In all the places where I've worked in restaurants it's been a health code violation for either kitchen staff or the bartender to wear open toed shoes behind their respective lines/bars. I've worked in places where the hostess wears open toed shoes, but generally nice pumps (or whatever the terminology is - women's shoes are confusing as hell). Regarding flip flops, ss others have mentioned, if it's a tiki bar or something, I don't see that being a problem. In most contexts flip flops would just be tacky.

tessaesque · May 15, 2012

I've worked in a few restuarants at varying levels of expense to the consumer.

NONE of them would have let an employee wear open-toed shoes. It's an insurance nightmare.

I wouldn't be okay with somebody wearing flip-flops at a restuarant I visited. If they're willing to take safety risks with their staff, what risks are they willing to take elsewhere that might cause harm or injury to me or a loved one?

grip · May 15, 2012

I've seen it at a Pier Restaurant/Grill-Bar but there were so many bare footed patrons it didn't stand out on the dirty wood deck.

justabubba · May 15, 2012

tessaesque said:
I've worked in a few restuarants at varying levels of expense to the consumer.

NONE of them would have let an employee wear open-toed shoes. It's an insurance nightmare.

I wouldn't be okay with somebody wearing flip-flops at a restuarant I visited. If they're willing to take safety risks with their staff, what risks are they willing to take elsewhere that might cause harm or injury to me or a loved one?

if open toe shoes are an insurance nightmare for front of house restaurant employees, why is there no prohibition for patrons to dine while wearing such shoes
same room. same exposure

Aunt Spiker · May 15, 2012

justabubba said:
if open toe shoes are an insurance nightmare for front of house restaurant employees, why is there no prohibition for patrons to dine while wearing such shoes
same room. same exposure

Employer pays insurance - and must provide a safe environment for employees and patrons.

if your patron cuts a toe on a broken glass that falls ot their insurance - if your employee cuts their toe on broken glass that falls to the restaurant's liability and a liability is not what an employee should be.

it's not for the safety of the individual as much as it is the legal pocketbook of the company.

I'm sure come care for reasons beyond that but that's why osha has it's requirements.

tessaesque · May 15, 2012

justabubba said:
if open toe shoes are an insurance nightmare for front of house restaurant employees, why is there no prohibition for patrons to dine while wearing such shoes
same room. same exposure

Because front of house employees are infinity more likely to access back-of-house than are customers, for one.

grip · May 15, 2012

If I had to see some guys hairy hammer toes with fungi nail I wouldn't be eating there too often.

justabubba · May 15, 2012

Aunt Spiker said:
Employer pays insurance - and must provide a safe environment for employees and patrons.

if your patron cuts a toe on a broken glass that falls ot their insurance - if your employee cuts their toe on broken glass that falls to the restaurant's liability and a liability is not what an employee should be.

it's not for the safety of the individual as much as it is the legal pocketbook of the company.

I'm sure come care for reasons beyond that but that's why osha has it's requirements.

let's examine what you said
i do not believe it works that way
the patron in open toe shoes gets cut by glass in the dining area of the restaurant, then the restaurant is likely liable ... and the restaurant's insurer, if the restaurant has liability coverage
not the insurer of the dining patron. there is a substantial chance that patron is without any insurance coverage

which brings us back to my earlier question
the patron and the employee both wear open toe shoes in the front of house
why is the employee and not the patron going to be the one more likely to sustain an injury, such that OSHA would mandate against open toe shoes

Fiddytree · May 15, 2012

Wear some damn shoes.

Rosie1 · May 15, 2012

Yeh, it's seems like the flip-flops would be a safety issue. Also, if their shift was very long, I think it would be bad for the feet.

Restaurant employee wearing flip-flops?

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