Brian

Due to the increased levels of complaints we have received recently we thought we would put this one out to all our members and and followers.It's been ages since we did a survey so let's crack on with this one. We believe that bullying in kitchens is still a major issue in Uk kitchens but we would really like your views. All of our surveys have always been really popular and we expect this one to be massive. The survey is anonymous and you will not be identified in any way Just click on this Link below to start the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SRLW8C many thanks and stay safe.

Finally we can now tell you the full story of Chef G and her amazing fight for justice. Chef G is a female chef working in the UK. She has a young family of 3 and is a devoted working mum. She had been at her job for 5 years, happily working as part of a successful team within a busy pub that had survived through the pandemic and was now looking to a bright future with a new company that had recently bought the establishment. All was well until a new chef arrived with big plans and ambitions. He systematically set about destroying relationships to further his ambitions to create his very own “man cave” bullying out both the female head chef and our member Chef G as well as the sous chef who had been there 15 years. Chef G complained at her treatment which included the Head Chef rostering her for hours which impacted heavily on her family as well as the constant and vicious harassment. She was initially listened to but the company failed to control the new head Chef and things got worse and she then contacted Unichef. She submitted a formal grievance which in law must be acted upon within 5 days. The company failed to do this in the belief that they could simply ignore her and get rid of her. With our advice, she beat them to this by resigning and claiming Wrongful Dismissal brought about by the company’s failure to uphold her legal right to a grievance ( breach of contract ). The company denied the allegations but we knew she was right from the start and supported Chef G all the way through her Tribunal Application until this week when we signed her Settlement Agreement which has vindicated her and left the company with a substantial 4 figure sum and hefty legal bills. Chef G is unique. She had the common sense and fortitude to keep a daily diary of her treatment as well as every email, rota and social media message, the sheer volume of evidence was overwhelming and the company had little choice but to admit defeat and agree an Out of Court settlement. with us. Each night after a hard day’s work and when the kids were in bed, she would diligently work her way through the masses of legal info and jargon, preparing her case and answering all that we asked of her without complaint or whining. This was a case that need not have happened, Unichef and Chef G simply wanted the issues solving but male pride and male dominance of the company and kitchen meant that their egos were more important to them than common sense,in reality it could have all been sorted over a cup of tea and bunch of flowers... not a good way to run a business you might think? Every day for the last year we have supported, encouraged and inspired Chef G to her successful claim, we never stopped believing in her case and her amazing fight for justice, she is a truly remarkable and inspiring woman and it has been a total pleasure to have her as our member.Her courage has inspired everyone around her and will now act in encouraging more women to come forward and seek justice for how they are treated at work and what she has done will be remembered here at Unichef for many years to come. Unichef has shown once again that justice for UK chefs is very possible. Our chefs have a strong and powerful Union that is prepared to stand up and fight for their rights and success is there for those that seek it.

Yet again more calls for a cut in VAT for the Hospitality industry but once again the Chancellor isn't buying it ..but why ? Government thoughts have always been that ours is a "luxury" industry.If people do with less going out and pubs and Restaurants struggle or even quit,then it no big loss,the industry can well manage with less and the jobs will be absorbed into other things. Its believed that a VAT cut for Hospitality would indeed be more harmful to the UK economy than helpful to the industry. The "eat our to help out" scheme proved this and the Economy has yet to recoup billions given in Furlough during the pandemic" a lot of which was fraudulently applied for by unscrupulous pubs and restaurant owners. Therefore the Government isn't rushing into giving more help for an Industry that has squandered support in the past. As Unichef has said all along,that the industry really is too big,with too many mediocre pubs and restaurants,churning out mediocre food,too many "brands" too many "filling stations" out to make a quick buck,too many that treat staff badly,pay poorly and overwork to exhaustion. We have said consistently that the Industry needs to look at itself in the mirror and face the challenges that is in front of them and realise that a cut in VAT would only be a "sticking plaster"over a huge wound that has opened up since the Pandemic.We knew it was always going to be this way so why couldn't they see it ? Quarter of hospitality businesses have no cash reserves, study finds WWW.THECATERER.COM A quarter of hospitality businesses have run out of money are trading in a perilous state according to a new report.

Lately, we have a series of members complaints all involving TOIL.( Time off in Lieu) With members wishing to know their legal rights revolving around time owing to them though overtime worked. The answer is quite simple…you have almost NO rights at all where TOIL is concerned as it is a “gentleman’s” agreement between the employer and employee and there are currently no laws that govern TOIL, it is in fact a civil contact between 2 parties, difficult and expensive to prove in court. Occasionally there may be a written agreement but even then it can get quite complex and often you will find that the employer will dig in their heels, and still refuse you the time off that you are owed, and there is little you can do about it. So what is the answer to TOIL? TOIL works fine when it suits BOTH parties and there is an honesty between you but be very very weary of complex time controlled systems that monitor each and every hour that you work over your time and NEVER be in position where substantial amounts of time are ever owed to you or enter into a contract where TOIL is closely monitored. Our advice will always be this. Stay in control of what is owed to you in TOIL and never be owed more than your kitchen can easily give you back without employing another chef to do your job. TOIL is one of the few things that is still unregulated so please be very careful with what is owed to you.

Well, at last someone of renown has finally had the guts to come out and tell it like it is? Well done to Michel Roux Jr for at long last acknowledging what Unichef has been saying since 2015 and that bullying has ruined our industry and profession to the extent that it's affected the provision of chefs coming into the Hospitality sector and not only chefs but waiters and others staff also. “We want the next generation of chefs to fall in love with this industry, not to hate it.” He says, but it seems still staying shy of just why Marco and Ramsay became so tyrannical after being at Le Gavroche. Indeed, William Sitwell himself is slightly perplexed at having to leave that conversation for another time? As Unichef prepares to battle in the Courts again over yet another bullying Chef, hopefully slowly but surely chefs are beginning to realise that the bawling and shouting of bullying behaviour is at last beginning to fade and that a Court Trial for unfair dismissal isn’t the way to run your kitchen ? Having a bully for a boss isn’t pleasant – but it certainly livens things up WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK With the closure of Le Gavroche, Michel Roux Jr called for the end of aggressive kitchen environments. But do we sometimes need conflict?

(C) Workplace Coercive Control occurs when someone intentionally targets an employee(s) to injure, damage or destroy their presence in the workplace. This usually consists of a campaign of terror until the perpetrator(s) underhandedly forces and ends the targets working life. So,we've all been there for sure, that one person who just HAS to have the final say no matter how stupid or unreasonable it is,but why? what is all the fuss about and just why are they intent on "power trippin" ? Coercive Control is a growing phenomenon,some people describe it as "gaslighting" but in fact it is a subtle but very dangerous form of mind control that is designed to weaken your resolve and demean you to level of subordination.You will find that this behavior often stems from their homelife and they will often have a history of intimidation within their family,often abusing their spouses and children. Nasicism in its extreme,where the perpetrator not only doesn't care,but doesnt even realise the damage and hurt they are doing,and that damage can be very damaging indeed and very long lasting also. They often put constant pressure upon you to agree with them or think and act as they would want you to,but it often them having that "final word" which is the telling point.You will also find that these people may well have been involved in other conflicts such as a divorce or a custody battle. This person often tends to pretend they're "in charge" or act in an overbearing and aggressively powerful manner, pulling your strings as no one else does. They may do it as a way of getting even or a way of getting you into trouble,denying they ever said anything after giving you an instruction or advice that has gone wrong or backfired. However the question is..is it illegal? They answer is yes,it is illegal,but it is a very difficult thing to prove and only the most diligent person can hope to succeed in any accusation of coercive bullying.Meticulous Diary's need to be kept and your Union informed at the very earliest as well as any taped conversations with the perpetrator. For sure though,standing up to them is no easy thing.The very fact that you dare to question their authority sends a signal to their brain warning them of a possible threat to their power,it frightens them and confuses them as they are used to getting their way through bullying. However for those that can and do,it can be a life changing revelation,and a soul searching venture that changes you for their better,making you stronger and wiser in a way you never thought possible.

In 2021 we heralded the Government’s plan to upgrade much of the Current Employment Legislation. The Good Work Plan was the brainchild of Mathew Taylor and out of almost 50 Recommendations the current Conservative government had accepted the vast majority of them. Sadly because of the Pandemic and the slow return to Preliminary pace much of this has been delayed. However the good news is that a whole range of draft legislation is going though Parliament as we speak and whilst we still have along way to go there is some great news for those who always said nothing ever changes in our profession. Here is a brief look at some of the changes that will affect chefs in the UK. Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Bill A Private Members’ Bill to give workers and agency workers the right to request more predictable terms and conditions of work. The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons and is due to be considered by the House of Lords shortly. It is being backed by the Government, so is likely to come into effect at some point if that remains the case. This is MASSIVE for the Industry and will give those on Zero-hour Contracts may now have the right to be given a a more predictable contract according to their history of work. In other words, if a after a period of time (to be determined) you have worked standard 20-40-hour week (or applicable) you will be able to request a predictable contract based of your history of work. The new law will also allow you to continue on a Zero option if so preferred. This will also apply to those shifts that traditionally get cut in the middle of a shift due to lack of business, in future if your rostered for 8 hours your employer must honour that also unless you have a flexible arrangement that adds up to your contracted hours at the end of the week. Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill Broadly speaking, the Worker Protection Bill intends to:Re-introduce the duty to protect employees from third-party harassment, and impose a positive duty on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, giving the Tribunal powers to uplift compensation by 25 per cent where employers fail to do so. This Bill will be a huge deterrent to those employers who still turn a blind eye to sexual harassment. It will effectively allow tribunals to increase the any compensation award by a massive 25% .This also means that employers will be more likely to settle “out of court” if they feel that a Tribunal will punish them even further. Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill The Bill aims to give employees and other workers greater flexibility by having the right to request variations to particular terms and conditions of employment. The main change proposed is for the right to request flexible working to become a day one right, removing the current 26-week qualifying period. Although some changes have been made to this Bill it now means that workers will have the right (from day 1) to a request flexible work pattern as opposed to the current 26 week lead in period. However, it only gives you the right to request and not the “right to have “ It is a very contentious Bill and will go through more changes and amendments before it is finalised. Miscarriage Leave Bill The Bill aims to give three days of statutory paid leave to employees who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Wonderful news for those women who go through the distress of losing a baby, its not a huge win but it’s a good start.

The news that there are now less than 100,000 pubs left in the UK is of no big surprise to us here at Unichef. As we predicted time and again this one time leisure pursuit for millions is massively outdated.The younger generation simply do not fit into the demographics of "publife" and many see spending their money on other items much more important than having a drink which is so often overpriced. Whilst, for the time being at least, there will still be a vibrant trade in City Center drinking,traditional pubs and those on housing estates ( the locals ) are the ones that with a poor future ahead. There are many reasons,and all of them are relevant but at the end of the day,pubs are about selling beer and food and people no longer want beer and food in the form that is offered in pubs. That and the massive shortage of cheap unskilled staff who are the mainstay of many pubs,has led to the way things are now. Pubs have always been of high issue for Unichef. If we ever have Chefs with work related issues a large proportion of them will be working in pubs,that's a fact.They are heavily understaffed,poorly maintained,often badly managed and very often massively in debt and many struggle on a day to day basis. Working in a pub,is without any doubt the very hardest part of our profession,with very little thanks or reward for the massive efforts that devoted staff put in. So,our next prediction ?? In your lifetime you will see the end of pubs as you know them,only the very very best will survive and only then by investment and a better business attitude towards their core staff.We will shed no tears or worry about the future of jobs as maybe it is time to "call time" on a shockingly poorly regulated industry. Number of UK pubs drops below 100,000 for first time in two decades WWW.THECATERER.COM UKHospitality has called for urgent government support in the Autumn Statement as new figures have revealed that the number of licensed premises in Britain...

Everyone from Chefs to part-time delivery drivers will be affected by new data-sharing rules. New rules coming into force from January 2024 could mean people who make money through a 'side hustle' have their bank account details shared with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). As part of a global clampdown on tax evasion, digital platforms that allow people to make extra cash on top of their main income will be ordered to give HMRC users' information. This will impact everyone from holiday rental hosts and delivery drivers to sellers on online marketplaces and even freelancers. For many years Chefs have needed to supplement poor earnings by taking on extra work in some form,but the Revenue are well aware of the abuse of cash transactions in the Hospitality sector and our industry will be high on the list for future scrutiny. So then the many chefs that found cash work during the pandemic as Gardeners or Painters etc,as well as those who have left to set up their own business as an Agency,Freelance Chefs or Private Chefs must now be doubly careful about what they do and be able to explain all sources of their income,especially if they uses any form of media,including Facebook, Instagram,Tik Tok etc Here, we explain what this could mean for you, the rules around income tax and how to avoid getting into trouble with HMRC. What has HMRC announced? The tax office already has the power to demand UK-based apps and websites to provide data on the income of sellers, including bank account details. But because many digital platforms are based overseas, such as holiday letting sites, some tax dodgers are still slipping through the net. HMRC has now signed up to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rules, which will allow it to investigate the tax affairs of people earning an income via a company that operates abroad. Under the measures, it will also share information with other participating tax authorities where a seller is a resident. A copy of the details will then be sent to the seller to help them comply with their tax obligations. As of November 2022, 28 countries and jurisdictions had signed up to the OECD rules. HMRC hopes the rules, which will be introduced in the new year, will mean more people get their tax bill right and clamp down on those deliberately avoiding paying as they explain.. "The vast majority of people pay the correct amount of tax. We use various methods, including working with online rental and marketplace platforms, to help make it as easy as possible for people to pay the right tax. Side hustles – jobs you take on in addition to your main job – have become a popular way to boost earnings. But whether it is selling handcrafted goods or delivering takeaways, any money you make counts as self-employed income and must be declared to the tax office."

This coming week Tuesday 24th October 2023, we see The National Chefs Union taking the very rare step of prosecuting an Employer. Judgement is due in a case in London concerning Chef Matt,who is owed almost £2000 in wages and asked Unichef for help and support.This case has taken 2 years to bring to its conclusion,testimony of Chef Matt's determination and of the Unions strength and loyalty in sticking with such a difficult and long case. The facts are simple,The chef did his work,there was no complaints,however the owner decided simply not to pay him because "he could" and the fact he has a history of doing this to other employees. Unichef deplore "wages theft" it is a despicable act and is illegal.The case has not been contested,only the owner of the business wanted to make the chef suffer for as long as he could? Narcissistic and nasty people like this are not fit to employ people and this week he will feel the strength and power of a dedicated Chefs Union,this week the industry also will wake up to the fact that the National Chefs Union will fight unfair and unjust cases to the end. This case is the very reason we set up a Union,to protest,support and care for those chefs who cant defend themselves.Please wish Unichef and Chef Matt every best wishes.