$35,000 and 95 hours

[La Vera Cucina]

Does the amount you make say its 35000 and you are made to work like 95-100 hours per week, seem correct? Or does it seem wrong?

[chefATL]

Sounds correct, especially for a sous and the place is just opening.

[La Vera Cucina]

I am offering that much to a sous chef, but thought it was a bit high, but then i thought of the hours i will be asking him to put in.

Hello La Vera Cucina - had to take out that image link. It works only from your computer. Fred

[chefATL]

Just remember a good Sous is worth his/her weight in gold!

[roger ramjet]

That sounds about right for a sous. I wouldn't push the hours much more though, unless there was another way of compensating them.
Just don't tell them that it works out to $6.73/hr!!

[spoonbread]

Sorry, although that seems correct, I wouldn't want to work anyone 95-100 hours a week. Not on a consistant basis anyway.

But, yes, the amount is about right, and a good sous is worth his/her wieght in gold.

[chefmaz]

I would jump for a job that pays that much I'm sous and i worked nearly 100 hours for £18000.
I'm moving to the US!!

[garlichead]

18,000 pounds is the same as 36,000 American so you
would be taking a pay cut.

[chefmaz]

Ohh...right...I'm not blonde, honest.

[ChefJune]

not quite.... 18000 GBP is equivalent to $32.6K -- a slight increase, but moving costs would have to be factored in.........

[garlichead]

Of course,of course, June I was using my Austin Powers money converter.

[Chefy]

my sous gets 32k, I work him between 60-80 hours, a little more when needed and a little less when I can. I don't think thats too bad, not compared to what I worked and got paid when I was a sous....

[chefATL]

When I was coming up I worked between 80 - 100 hours a week trying to get a restaurant up and running and it damn near killed me. I don't think you should work a sous over 55 hours a week unless you pay him a wage on top of his salary for every hour over a certain amount. No other industry that I know of works their employees like we do without some other compensation. I have found more loyalty and better production when I can give a sous a quality of life which is something I never had coming up through the ranks.

[Scotty]

How is this working over in the UK and Europe? I know the UK provided the option to 'opt-out' of being able to work more than the new 48-hour working time directive, although I think the European Commission is about to nix that?

[Kelly Johnson]

That's fine if your opening a place up, but don't expect to get a good quality, level headed sous that makes sound decisions and keeps their eye on the ball and keep up that kind of work week.

Many of us have done it and remeber what it's like. We had to do it here for the first couple of months to get the ball rolling but now my sous make that and do a 50-55 hr work week.

The upside is they stay fresh, in realtively good spirits and are loyal. If YOU have to do it...have them help, but anything over 70 hrs a week is a ridiculous pace to keep unless you own the place.