Waiters needed

For several days now, discussion has been raging about the lack of personnel in the tourism sector in general and specifically in finding wait staff (and kitchen staff) for restaurants. We are a tourism-driven country that in the last two years has been reeling from a deadly beating called Pandemic. This is the premise. So many have closed, downsized, pulled their oars in the boat and tightened their belts, inventing new ways to make ends meet and pay bills and bills (see the various take-out services, home delivery, leaner formulas, set menus and so on). 

 

We are now in front of the first full "season," with no restrictions, and also with an abnormally early warm weather that has fostered the resurgence of tourists in the big art cities but also of the mini "hit-and-run" trips of those who carve out a breath of fresh air outside the city on weekends to enjoy a few moments of peace from the now increasingly hectic and almost unacceptable daily grind of the home/office/accounts to pay/money always scarce lifestyle. The long months of Covid and social distancing have made us all more intolerant, more attentive to a sought-after conviviality, eager for a more human-scale lifestyle, quality time for ourselves and loved ones.

 

Well, having said that, even the "guys" and "less guys" who used to flock in large numbers to meet the needs of the caterer on duty who needed two extra arms even if only on weekends, or only for three months or whatever, now seem to have vanished. Or rather, they seem to have beached themselves in front of a bar (perlappunto) lulled by the dolce far niente, foraged from the pockets of the state (thus also from the very restaurateurs who continued to pay taxes during the difficult months) with citizenship income and compliant parents.

 

This is the view of most, a simplistic view, not totally related to reality and certainly misleading. First, it must be said that to lump everything together is never good and add that the Latin locution in medio stat virtus in this thorny issue should always be kept in mind. Let me explain in my opinion how things stand: certainly the slackers in front of the bar are there, were there, and will continue to be there (but most likely a serious restaurateur who is looking for a professional and qualified employee-you will agree with me-is much happier that these elements are self-eliminating from selection). This is regardless of the much-criticized citizenship income. 

 

I do not want to go into the functionality of this support that the state has decided to provide to those who cannot find work, nor do I have sufficient information to assess whether support to companies for hiring qualified permanent staff is more or less onerous than this bonus provided directly to the unemployed. But I can invite all those who have complained about this shortage to reflect: would you hire on a permanent basis the figure you are looking for or is it just to compensate for the surge of these weeks of tourist flow? Because even if you offered 1200 euros per month net for an 8-hour room job (we are not kidding ourselves here, we ALL know that it is not 8 hours per shift but obviously more even if by contract this must be written), maybe in the evening when friends and relatives are at home comfortable on the couch, maybe on the weekend when the aforementioned are instead at the beach in the cooler. We are not talking here about slackers but about people who do the math and decide that maybe this term contract is not good for planning a future. Maybe spending a month or two trying to make a good impression and learning how to juggle tables by sweating seven shirts a person who already knows that after a few weeks he will lose this job doesn't accept it anyway, I probably wouldn't either, knowing that I can count on even half that amount by staying home in the cooler if I have a roof over my head and a plate at the table. Would you do it unless there was a child to feed, a mortgage or rent to pay, a zero bank account and no 

 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)