The Scheduling Conversation You're Avoiding

"I can only work one shift a week now."

Sound familiar?

If you're a GM or multi-unit operator, you've probably heard some version of this. An employee

who was hired with open availability suddenly has a new schedule and they're telling you, not asking.

One week she's open. The next week everything's blocked off except one random Tuesday.

And you feel stuck. Like you just have to accept it. Here's the truth: you don't.

This is one of the most common and most avoidable leadership challenges in restaurants. And if you're tired of feeling backed into a corner every time someone changes their availability, I can help.

👉 Schedule a free coaching session and let's solve this together.

Why This Keeps Happening

In most jobs, you can't just tell your boss you're cutting your hours in half. But in restaurants, people do it all the time and we let them.

That's not a staffing problem. That's a leadership problem.

When expectations aren't set clearly from day one, you're leaving the door open for this exact situation. And once it starts, it spreads. Other employees see it happen. They assume it's acceptable. And suddenly your schedule is a mess and you're scrambling to fill shifts every week.

The Real Cost

When you don't protect your schedule, you pay for it in ways that go beyond coverage gaps:

→ You spend hours rewriting the schedule instead of developing your team

→ You end up working shifts yourself to fill holes

→ You hire reactively whoever says yes instead of strategically

→ Your best employees get frustrated covering for people who aren't committed

And the cycle continues.

How to Fix It

It starts with one conversation — ideally before there's a problem.

When you hire someone, set the expectation clearly:

"This is what we agreed to when you were hired."

"If your availability changes significantly, we need to have a conversation first."

"I may not be able to guarantee your shifts if I have to hire someone else to cover them."

You're not being harsh. You're being clear.

Your team doesn't know what it takes to write a schedule. They don't see the 30 other people with requests and needs. That's your job to communicate.

Protect your schedule. Protect your team. Set the expectation before you're backed into a corner.

And if you're already in the corner? It's not too late. You can reset expectations- it just takes a direct conversation and a commitment to holding the line going forward.

Let's Talk

If you're a GM or multi-unit operator dealing with constant availability changes, last-minute call-outs, or a schedule that feels impossible to manage, this is exactly the kind of thing we work on together.

I'll help you set clear expectations, have the hard conversations, and build a team that respects your time and your business.

👉 Book a free coaching session here

Let's fix this for good.

Christin