Tips and suggestions for organizing your shift
It is up to you
All of this is up to you and your shift-mates. We hope you will talk with each other about how you can make your shift as nice as possible. Everything of the below is dependent on you and your shift-mates agreeing on how to go about it, and always communicate with each-other if you're not taking your shift.
With the new shift schedule, all shifts now have 4 people on shift. Some view it as a big pro, and others dislike it. The hope and intent of having 4 people on every shift is that we can make more relaxing, less stressful, more fun and more flexible shifts.
Here, we have collected a few tips and tricks on how we think you can make the most of the new shift schedule. It's by no means mandatory to do it like this, but we highly encourage you to try it out and see if it gives any value to you.
Improving flexibility
By design, 4 people is a bit too much in the kitchen. If you think you can do with 3 baristas (less is not recommended):
- Give each-other a week off once in a while
- Take more breaks during your shift
- Have a 'home-worker' who only helps during rushes, and otherwise can do other stuff
Being 4 on shift
Experience suggests that you can make it a really pleasant experience being 4 on shift in such a small kitchen. This can be done by having roles between the 4 of you. Such a role system could be:
- One barista in charge of orders
- One barista in charge of filter coffee, taking out trash, restocking kitchen.
- Two baristas in charge of making all but filter coffee.
Formalities when you can't take your shift:
- You must try to find a substitute
- You must inform the shift buddies about it directly
- The shift buddies can accept that they will take the shift without a replacement, but we recommend that there are always at least 3 on shift.
Communicate
Finally, it is important to communicate with your shiftmates and the people you are exchanging shifts with.
- Create a Messenger thread or other means to reach each other
- Talk about expectations with the people you are switching shifts with
Maybe your lecture starts sharp on the hour, and the new shift is coming from a lecture ending on the hour.