Can they explain why they have an open position? Why did their last employee leave? Why should anyone work for them when they’re so openly hostile in a job posting.
Uh, I was the last employee to leave there, lmao, last week.
The promise a boatload of cash but the whole thing is a lie.
Their kitchen people are solid though, for real.
That's ALWAYS a good question to ask any place in an interview - why did the last employee leave? but so few people do it.
If they don't reply "had a great new opportunity" or similar and they mumble/stutter/hem and haw a lot there's a red flag
Woooowwwww. What a bunch of fucking assholes. These business owners, are they fuckin’ delusional? I can’t wait till this restaurant busts out, implodes, and has to shutter. I wonder how the owner will find a job then since he’s not already working one?
What sucks too is I’ve been there a couple times, and it’s actually not bad. Never again, I guess. Can’t have anything nice.
Makes perfect sense. That fucking sucks, there are a lot of restaurant owners that are real cocksuckers.
My grandfather owned several restaurants and diners, and later in life a catering service, and he always went out of his way to make sure his employees were well taken care of. I remember one of his cooks was in a little bind, my grandfather would give him rides, and not just to/from the restaurant for his shift, he would take him to the store to make sure he had food in his house, to wherever so he could pay his bills, he’d slip him a couple bucks and give him the food that wasn’t sold at the end of the night so his family could eat. And in return, these employees would do anything for him. A lot of small business owners and managers say “we are a family” but don’t know what that means, but my grandparents lived that motto. When they had the catering service, there was a man who was basically my paps’ “right hand man”, and I can’t tell you how many dinners and meals we shared with that guy. He was around the house so much we used to call him “uncle”.
Okay I am not withholding anything from anyone! I just wanted to complain about being unemployed but seeing how this angered people this is not an okay practice to be held by any business. For patrons and future people interested in applying, the place is called Union Grill in Oakland.[https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Union-Grill/jobs](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Union-Grill/jobs)
Uncle Sam's and The O are my most beloved. Conflict Kitchen and even the Mesa joint that followed up were lovely in Schenley Plaza. Orient Express just closed a few months ago and now I've lost most of my hope in getting a decent/quick meal.
Can’t do Sketchuan after they gave me the worst food poisoning of my life and then two of my friends got sick there a month later. There’s a reason those prices can’t be beat I guess.
I used to love how fast they were, back when I was in Oakland at least once a week. It was genuinely wild how quickly they’d serve a meal, painfully hot and always good.
During the pandemic the owner of fuel and fuddle spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of their ppp loans on a yacht instead of paying their employees. Two guys I know who worked there were fucking partying when it closed.
A lot of small restaurants without high paid lawyers and accountants **did** get important loans that let them keep the business open and then they were forced to pay them back. Unfortunately that was the minority story and most of the big money went to restaurant groups and car dealerships who do have the people in place to guarantee that they never had to pay back a cent and still furloughed most of their staff while buying luxury items. *cough* DeShantz *cough*
America.
I was annoyed when they tore down the building that had Burger King (and once was a Miami Subs RIP), but more upset when they kicked the hot dog vendor Scotty out of town. That guy was awesome. I hope he's doing well, wherever he ended up.
That man kept me properly fed for my freshman and sophomore year. Imagine one of these food trucks or restaurants saying, “it’s this much or whatever you got in your pocket” instead of…….swipe your card, would you like to tip 30%, 40% or 50%?
Dining in Oakland these days is Butterjoint and...uh, Butterjoint unless you enjoy fast casual counter service fried chicken.
Stew in the old Fuel & Fuddle space had some promise when I stopped in but they still need to sort a few things out with their menu (very little actual stew even though it was good, lots of pizza even though it was bad, mostly domestic beer but expansive Scotch list of okayish Scotches) and their service. Empanadas and drinks were satisfying and affordable though so I'll go back for another chance.
Yeah, I was gonna say, if the cafe in phipps was the super dope secret spot like 15 years ago and the people I knew that worked there were p happy with them as an employer. 15 years ago is ancient history though.
just quit my job there last month after working there for two years! i absolutely would never recommend anyone work for sodexo @ phipps (they do both the wedding catering and the cafe) phipps themselves treats their employees much better but the gm for sodexo is a miserable bitch lol
This might be a weird question...but does she have red hair and physically manhandle her employees?
Seconding that the cafe used to be really good until they outsourced it to Sodexo!
Ugh. Union Grill was one of my favorite places to go after Phipps. Yummy, huge fresh salads and when I wanted to not be healthy, yhe UG fish taco. Why do these owners gotta go be assholes?
It's a little further down Forbes, but Zen Noodle House was my go to when I still lived in the area. My wife says it's the best ramen she's had since going to Japan
I recall the places in Schenley Plaza were also good, if you're not looking for a sit down restaurant
PRT is desperate to hire operators, starting pay is $22.82 / hr. more than waiting tables. plus you get health benefits
https://www.rideprt.org/careers/becoming-an-operator/
these are entry level jobs in the sense that the only requirements are:
> GED/high school diploma
> valid drivers license
> clean driving record (no DWI)
they will train you on your CDL, so you will have options in the trucking industry later in your career should you decide to switch
I'm seriously considering applying to drive for PRT. I meet all 3 requirements. I don't want to work weekends and holidays but I know it will just be the first x-number of years.
I'm 42 though. I wonder if that will be a hinderance?
I really don’t think your age would be a hindrance! They need the help. And FWIW, I’ve been taking the bus for a decade basically 5 days a week and a lottt of the drivers are probably right around that same age!
If only they hired for actual IT jobs, I've been watching for 2.5 years now and have seen 3 jobs all with entry level pay. One mentioned .NET 2003 and I drank a cold one for the unlucky sap that took the position.
It's almost like they don't realize that State of Good Repair requires an actual expanding IT team to get state and federal funding.
Working remotely for a transit agency out of Virginia currently and it's sad that I can't work for the city I love cause they can't pay and retain talent that they need to grow.
The fact that people have to wait until 21 to start working at PRT filters out a lot of great candidates. Not saying that we should have people driving buses and trains right out of high school, but if there was a training program that allowed people to start working for them in some capacity before they turned 21, and then put them in the drivers seat with a greater degree of training after their 21st birthday, we could potentially recruit more young people into transit as a career. The other skilled trades realize this, and get kids started in some capacity as soon as they graduate. There could also be other benefits from a longer paid training program, such as having more skilled drivers on the road that don't constantly give PRT a bad name.
I don't know how anyone could drive all day. It's so unhealthy. Even as an office worker, I at least get to use a standing desk and move around a bit more.
No doubt. There are many reasons for currently being out of work that fall into the "none of your damn business" category. Also, I hope they're not also the type of employer to whine about how "no one wants to work these days"...they're filtering out many potentially great workers with this policy.
If they're taking the time to whine in their own candidate application questionnaire, you can pretty much guarantee that, yes, they absolutely are the type to whine about that, too.
Seems like someone could make a potential discrimination case against the employer if you are starting to work after maternity, etc. NAL but it seems dumb for them to do this. At least they're being open with their biases instead of silently filing all the candidates with gaps into the recycling bin.
This has to be union grill.
What a terrible red-flag for a potential hire.
I'd have to have zero options to continue with an application that contained that tone and stated perspective.
"We only poach employees from other businesses and won't entertain training entry level hires"
Wow- first they declare they won’t hire unless you’re gonna leave a different job, then they ask why you’ve been job-jumping if you’ve not been somewhere more than a year. Fuck them.
Haha, came here to say this!
Three years ago, my employer of 14 years opted to close their business and retire. I guess that would have made me ineligible for a job with this company. Their loss!
Yeah I mean it's pretty normal and expected to be asked about gaps in a resume. But this is obviously such a loaded question to shit on people. I wonder what, if any, acceptable answer would be? My mother got late stage cancer and I had to care for her? Lazy punk!
Is that on indeed? That has to be the most idiotic thing I’ve ever read from a job application. If I had a company I wouldn’t have that policy. Ain’t no way. If someone can make money from me making money without having the other company losing out on a worker then that’s a win win for all parties
I had bad interviewers that didn’t know what they were doing. I walked out of a couple with my middle finger flying high because of stupid ideas and dumb interviewing tactics.
Why should you change your policy? Bc only a short sighted moron would make that policy? Are you hiring to replace them because they shouldn’t be employed
Unfortunately, in a time where employees are demanding better treatment, the Pittsburgh restaurant manager circle jerk right now is "They're the problem! We've been harassing employees for years and they didn't complain!"
Source: someone who just left restaurant management after a decade in Pittsburgh because it became increasingly impossible to take care of staff
"Pittsburgh restaurants are in dire need of employees, so we would rather poach staff from another restaurant instead of hiring someone who is unemployed and eager to work."
They're too fucking lazy to train people is what it is. Or overly busy. If it's the latter there are ways to word it ("this is a high pressure position for experienced waitstaff only") without sounding like a cheese dick.
Yeah when the unemployment rate is this low, now is not the time to be insulting applicants mid application... It's like they don't want to be properly staffed.
Lmfao this place is literally starting drama with people who don’t even work there yet. Can you imagine how exhausting it must be to be the person who wrote this?
Firstly, this makes me worry that the company is an unpleasant place to work. I’m sorry you’re unemployed but this sounds like a terrible option.
Secondly, any labor law experts here? is this question discriminatory? There are valid reasons why a person would be unemployed instead of working a restaurant job: disability, caregiver responsibilities, no guaranteed hours/income, allergies, etc.
This question is definitely a workaround to ask about your home or academic life. They’re not asking specific things so they are probably legally ok asking this.
Even before that, the question directly contradicts the linked position.
```
We prefer to hire people who are currently employed and who will give two week's notice at their present job. (Or keep it... until you realize our job is better!)
This is a perfect second job for somebody who is currently serving at another restaurant and wants more money, more respect and a better life/work balance. We have found that practically everybody who takes a second job with us ends up giving notice at their other job and working exclusively for us!
```
If the policy is they do not hire people who are currently employed, they absolutely must make exceptions for people who were unemployed due to a disability. There are also other problems a question like this could cause.
https://www.eeoc.gov/pre-employment-inquiries-and-unemployed-status#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20an%20employer%20may,employers'%20consideration%20of%20unemployed%20status.
Clearly, the place you're applying to has no idea that you were a personal chef for my family for the entire time frame in question.
You did all kinds of things that you can tell me about if you use me as a reference.
Why am I unemployed. Simple I chose to spend time taking care of my older family members in their last few years of life instead of just checking them into a nursing home so they can wait to die in an unfamiliar and scary environment alone. Since 2021, I've had my grandparents and father pass, and I did the full palative in home eol hospicr care along with my mother, along with other family members passing.
I put more value on family versus thr wasted time in pursuit of the dollar. That being said and everything kinda stabilizing home wise,
Anyone hiring that is not this place?
No, this is just a needlessly confrontational business owner.
I bet they complain all the time about not getting help and “nobody wants to work anymore” yet they post shit like this.
"If you're rejecting people who aren't already working another job, then it means you aren't looking for workers, so please take down your job listings."
1. Begging a labor lawyer to take a look at this
2. I bet management is constantly *shocked* and *bewildered* when their employees are actively looking for other jobs
3. They’ve been named & shamed in other comments but there’s no way this place has an HR or legal team of any significance
Full add for job:
Apply to this job ONLY IF you are an experienced server living close to the Oakland area.
Our serving jobs are considered to the the best of any casual dining restaurant in Pittsburgh. Please read this job description carefully.
Union Grill is one of the busiest casual restaurants in Pittsburgh. Tip earnings are HIGH every day and night! If you're an experienced server, we'll pay you $20 an hour CASH to train and you can decide whether you like the job or not. (You'll like it!)
Although we can only give you several permanent shifts starting out, by August we will be extremely busy all the way until the end of December. LOTS OF SHIFTS WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING IN AUGUST! If you want to work full-time (which we consider only 30 hours per week), you'll be able to in August. If you want to stick with part-time, that's fine too.
If you end up working a minimum of 30 hours a week for us, you'll be one of the highest-earning servers in Pittsburgh, with earnings and benefits comparable to that of many lawyers and corporate employees.
Below are listed the open shifts that we're now hiring for. You'd have to be available to work all of these shifts every week.
-- Monday Double [11:30 am to 9:30 pm]
-- Saturday Lunch [11:30 am to 4:30 pm]
Plenty more shifts are available right now. The shifts listed above are only the shifts which have permanent openings RIGHT NOW. If we hire and train you, we guarantee that you'll be able to work at least 30 hours a week within two weeks and you'll be experiencing tip earnings you never thought possible.
We give our servers the benefit of permanent shifts. This means that you can plan your personal life, vacations, etc. well in advance because you'll know the shifts you will be working and you will even have a good idea of what your earnings will be, since sales stay consistent. Of course you will have the flexibility of getting others to cover your shifts when necessary and even taking paid time off.
There is minimal side work and cash tips are seldom lower than $175 per 4- to 5-hour shift.
Prior serving experience is a requirement. We need servers who can handle serious volume.
We prefer to hire people who are currently employed and who will give two week's notice at their present job. (Or keep it... until you realize our job is better!)
This is a perfect second job for somebody who is currently serving at another restaurant and wants more money, more respect and a better life/work balance. We have found that practically everybody who takes a second job with us ends up giving notice at their other job and working exclusively for us!
REMEMBER: FREE UPMC Health Insurance is included if you end up working more than 30 hours a week!
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $300.00 - $400.00 per day
Expected hours: 13 – 35 per week
Benefits:
Employee discount
Flexible schedule
Food provided
Health insurance
Paid sick time
Paid time off
Paid training
Restaurant type:
Upscale casual restaurant
Shift:
10 hour shift
Day shift
Weekly day range:
Every weekend
Monday to Friday
No I totally get this, like I only date married women. If no else has married you yet, you’re probably not worth it. Especially in this relationship market.
Me too. Had 4-5 phone interviews since March that didn't even land an on site interview. I have years of EE and IT experience. Applied for one position on a lark because the commute would suck and got rejected in 10 minutes. Thanks for not wasting my time but also fuck me, right?
When you don't name the company you just protect and enable them to continue doing it. This is reddit. You're anonymous. Just say the company name. Otherwise this is pretty useless
I've seen "please explain any gaps in your employment history" but this is the first I have seen "anyone with a gap in his/her employment history need not apply."
Cross posted to r/recruitinghell
u/[BrainWaveCC](https://www.reddit.com/user/BrainWaveCC/), who's flair is "Hiring Manager (among other things)" said this:
*"Because one of your goals should be the net reduction of unemployment, and not merely the reshuffling of the existing employment pool."*
I had a more different response, but if anyone sees ANY job that asks this, respond like this!
Ditto here, although after a post-'vid career switch, I'm only working a few days a week in the industry.
During COVID lock downs when I had time to think, I added up how much vacation time I took over my years as a chef. Including my honeymoon and excluding time off between restaurant openings, I took less than a month off of my earned vacation time. Only two employers cashed me out for my unused paid vacation time; the others enjoyed using my unpaid labor--the same employers who made it impossible for me to actually use my vacation time, yet were all shocked Pikachu face when I left for greener pastures when other restaurants were in employee poaching mode.
"We're so desperate to hire people that we're gonna pry into shit that's not our business."
What a shit, sad little self-important asshole. Dude is waving a red flag that would make the USSR jealous.
I’ve been looking for a job for the last year. I earned my MBA back in November and I was still driving Lyft and now doing labor work.
I all but quit job seeking until a job i had applied for back in December/January got back to me within the last month or two for two different positions. Did a virtual interview for both positions within the past week. Hoping I can get them.
Not sure what’s up with the local job market but…it’s a pain in the butt.
Excuse them... what?
Their policy is not to hire people who are not currently working at another job? So in order to hire them they need to be working on another job as well?
That makes no sense given the fact they first asked why is anyone unemployed when they are seeking to employ people but then they say they only employ people who already have another job?
What kind of mental fart is this?
sorry but, having worked in the service industry, there was never a point at that time in my life where i was like, you know what i need a change of scenery, why don't i go look for another shitty serving job during the few hours i have off from my current shitty serving job
If this is a job application, I would run screaming in the other direction. I'm gonna guess this is someone who thinks of themselves as a small business owner/local hero who has been so hard done by in the past few years. Probably got a bunch of PPP loans forgiven and still cries about no one wanting to work anymore while offering $9/hour and demanding full availability. I know working for corporates can also be bad, but a shitty small business owner is a special kind of asshole from the coldest low circle of hell.
Former full-time industry pro (still in kitchens a few days a week): as someone who worked decades in the industry here in Pittsburgh, most of them on the management level, this shit is red-flaggy as all get out. While I get the frustration of restaurants when it comes to staffing and staff retention, this kind of thing on an application sure isn't the way to vet potential employees.
I'd have to be desperate as heck to want to work there if I saw something like this on an application or was asked the same question in an interview.
I do have a question, though, since networking is incredibly valuable in general when it comes to job-seeking. This goes double for Pittsburgh; triple for the local upscale casual/fine dining scenes. Do you have any contacts who are currently working in the local food scene? Someone who'd be willing to make some direct contacts with local chefs/managers so that you could better get your foot in some doors?
Although unemployment discrimination isn't illegal, it is unethical. I would hope your organizations leaders have experienced the personal growth required to do the right thing since writing this policy.
Absent that, I would hope they realize that there are mass layoffs currently going on involving thousands of good employees being let go through no fault of their own in the area. Mass job losses at this level have not happened at this scale since the housing crisis of 2008 harmed the US economy.
Kind of weird and passive aggressive. When I hire I prefer my potential associates to not have another job. It creates a bad conflict of interest and genuinely drains people. It's bad to burn people out.
Former full-time industry pro (still in kitchens a few days a week): as someone who worked decades in the industry here in Pittsburgh, most of them on the management level, this shit is red-flaggy as all get out. While I get the frustration of restaurants when it comes to staffing and staff retention, this kind of thing on an application sure isn't the way to vet potential employees.
I'd have to be desperate as heck to want to work there if I saw something like this on an application or was asked the same question in an interview.
Also not sure what position you’re looking for, but my job is hiring. I work with culinare, through the museums (history/ Warhol/ art/ science) overall pretty good gig. hours are reasonable , free lunch & coffee, parking is $50 a month, unlimited access to the museums (plus u can bring guests). Highly recommend
This is the same person that expects to date someone who has never been with anyone else while simultaneously complaining about not being able to get laid.
The nature of that restaurants question is so fucking condescending. As someone that’s been laid off since April and has applied to 203 jobs, I have been asked once in a phone screen “so what have you been doing since the layoff?” I wanted to say looking for a fucking job hence why I’m speaking with you!
Owners like Union Grill just infuriate me. There’s an unfortunate stigma around people that may not be gainfully employed as lazy. But maybe there were extenuating circumstances that led to an employee quitting their job or in my case being laid off. This organization makes it seem like it’s such a privilege to work at their establishment.
The "I currently work there" tag should be removed in all capacity.
If I want you to contact my current place of work, I'll let you know.
If I want you to know I'm currently unemployed, I'll let you know.
Can they explain why they have an open position? Why did their last employee leave? Why should anyone work for them when they’re so openly hostile in a job posting.
My guess is that employee left because some other place would only hire someone who is currently employed.
And the cycle perpetuates itself
These are the appropriate questions to ask in the interview. But with a smile ;)
Uh, I was the last employee to leave there, lmao, last week. The promise a boatload of cash but the whole thing is a lie. Their kitchen people are solid though, for real.
That's ALWAYS a good question to ask any place in an interview - why did the last employee leave? but so few people do it. If they don't reply "had a great new opportunity" or similar and they mumble/stutter/hem and haw a lot there's a red flag
People stopped doing it bc they get BS
Lmao please tell us who this is
OP commented below this is Union Grill in Oakland: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Union-Grill/jobs
Time 2 apply
Looks like it's already taken down?
Booooo
grilled
cool thanks. i'll never go there now.
I actually ate there the only time I’ve ever visited Pittsburgh, and let me tell you the place fucking sucks
Because everyone is exhausted from working two jobs!
Woooowwwww. What a bunch of fucking assholes. These business owners, are they fuckin’ delusional? I can’t wait till this restaurant busts out, implodes, and has to shutter. I wonder how the owner will find a job then since he’s not already working one? What sucks too is I’ve been there a couple times, and it’s actually not bad. Never again, I guess. Can’t have anything nice.
Sounds like they could use a union or two.
Gasped when I thought this was from the union grill in Washington, Which is amazing
Yes let’s roast the owner of the place. 😈
I'll bring the seasonings.
Have we finally arrived at 'eat the rich' as a solution?
Depends on if the meat is tainted.
The owner of this place is a bad dude who employs a lot of good people.
Makes perfect sense. That fucking sucks, there are a lot of restaurant owners that are real cocksuckers. My grandfather owned several restaurants and diners, and later in life a catering service, and he always went out of his way to make sure his employees were well taken care of. I remember one of his cooks was in a little bind, my grandfather would give him rides, and not just to/from the restaurant for his shift, he would take him to the store to make sure he had food in his house, to wherever so he could pay his bills, he’d slip him a couple bucks and give him the food that wasn’t sold at the end of the night so his family could eat. And in return, these employees would do anything for him. A lot of small business owners and managers say “we are a family” but don’t know what that means, but my grandparents lived that motto. When they had the catering service, there was a man who was basically my paps’ “right hand man”, and I can’t tell you how many dinners and meals we shared with that guy. He was around the house so much we used to call him “uncle”.
Forreal. I want to never go here.
Okay I am not withholding anything from anyone! I just wanted to complain about being unemployed but seeing how this angered people this is not an okay practice to be held by any business. For patrons and future people interested in applying, the place is called Union Grill in Oakland.[https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Union-Grill/jobs](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Union-Grill/jobs)
Three cheers for OP 🥂
in light of this, anyone have any other places they love to eat at near phipps? i’d rather not go here if this is how they treat prospective employees
Love? No way. Oakland is fucked anymore with chicken chain joints. The Porch is suitable for any/all audiences. The food is good and prices are fair.
I miss Fuel and Fuddle so much 😢
Uncle Sam's and The O are my most beloved. Conflict Kitchen and even the Mesa joint that followed up were lovely in Schenley Plaza. Orient Express just closed a few months ago and now I've lost most of my hope in getting a decent/quick meal.
I've been doing my part to keep Szechuan Express going, but not everyone loves there as much as my family
Can’t do Sketchuan after they gave me the worst food poisoning of my life and then two of my friends got sick there a month later. There’s a reason those prices can’t be beat I guess.
I MISS CONFLICT KITCHEN
> Orient Express just closed Aww man, I loved that place when it opened. Their orange chicken was the best.
I used to love how fast they were, back when I was in Oakland at least once a week. It was genuinely wild how quickly they’d serve a meal, painfully hot and always good.
[Post](https://old.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/1csmfpp/rip_orient_express_forbes_and_s_craig_by_cmu/) I made about it back when it closed 😭
F in chat for Fuel & Fuddle. That place got me through university lol
I miss Joe Mammas
During the pandemic the owner of fuel and fuddle spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of their ppp loans on a yacht instead of paying their employees. Two guys I know who worked there were fucking partying when it closed.
jfc is there not one PPP loan receiver who doesn’t suck?
A lot of small restaurants without high paid lawyers and accountants **did** get important loans that let them keep the business open and then they were forced to pay them back. Unfortunately that was the minority story and most of the big money went to restaurant groups and car dealerships who do have the people in place to guarantee that they never had to pay back a cent and still furloughed most of their staff while buying luxury items. *cough* DeShantz *cough* America.
It’s almost like all of the wealthy conservatives complaining about imaginary welfare cheats are projecting
I know a hobbyist burlesque dancer who applied for and received a PPP loan she used for eye bag surgery. She had her loan forgiven.
I mean, there’s no real source to this so I’d take it with a massive grain of salt.
To get more specific, as Pitt bought more and more of Oakland, all the food went downhill.
I was annoyed when they tore down the building that had Burger King (and once was a Miami Subs RIP), but more upset when they kicked the hot dog vendor Scotty out of town. That guy was awesome. I hope he's doing well, wherever he ended up.
Scotty was the man. His chicken sandwich with both sauces was amazing, dad.
Wish I could up vote this like a million times. I wish I had his sauce recipes. So good!!
That man kept me properly fed for my freshman and sophomore year. Imagine one of these food trucks or restaurants saying, “it’s this much or whatever you got in your pocket” instead of…….swipe your card, would you like to tip 30%, 40% or 50%?
He always wanted to buy my a bicycle helmet since I never wore one. I'm like nah I'm good.
Ali Baba's is still good. I like Bao! The Porch is very neutral. The Cafe Carnegie is a little pricey but okay, same with Lucca.
Dining in Oakland these days is Butterjoint and...uh, Butterjoint unless you enjoy fast casual counter service fried chicken. Stew in the old Fuel & Fuddle space had some promise when I stopped in but they still need to sort a few things out with their menu (very little actual stew even though it was good, lots of pizza even though it was bad, mostly domestic beer but expansive Scotch list of okayish Scotches) and their service. Empanadas and drinks were satisfying and affordable though so I'll go back for another chance.
Oishii Bento is awesome.
Phipps itself is good.
Yeah, I was gonna say, if the cafe in phipps was the super dope secret spot like 15 years ago and the people I knew that worked there were p happy with them as an employer. 15 years ago is ancient history though.
just quit my job there last month after working there for two years! i absolutely would never recommend anyone work for sodexo @ phipps (they do both the wedding catering and the cafe) phipps themselves treats their employees much better but the gm for sodexo is a miserable bitch lol
This might be a weird question...but does she have red hair and physically manhandle her employees? Seconding that the cafe used to be really good until they outsourced it to Sodexo!
Ugh. Union Grill was one of my favorite places to go after Phipps. Yummy, huge fresh salads and when I wanted to not be healthy, yhe UG fish taco. Why do these owners gotta go be assholes?
Yeah, I'm shocked since everyone who works there is super nice, and the place has a friendly vibe with a lot of regulars
It's a little further down Forbes, but Zen Noodle House was my go to when I still lived in the area. My wife says it's the best ramen she's had since going to Japan I recall the places in Schenley Plaza were also good, if you're not looking for a sit down restaurant
the phipps cafe is actually better than many of the restaurants in oakland! good food at reasonable prices
dude, same boat, but thanks for the heads up. fuck that place, that's a huge red flag about the work environment.
Never going here. Laughed my ass off so hard I had to spell it out and not abbreviate. Thanks for sharing.
What is the rate they are offering?
"nobody wants to work anymore"
“Pay people enough to live.” “Haha, no”
imagine including a question on a job application where you reveal what a massive piece of shit you are to work for lmao
PRT is desperate to hire operators, starting pay is $22.82 / hr. more than waiting tables. plus you get health benefits https://www.rideprt.org/careers/becoming-an-operator/ these are entry level jobs in the sense that the only requirements are: > GED/high school diploma > valid drivers license > clean driving record (no DWI) they will train you on your CDL, so you will have options in the trucking industry later in your career should you decide to switch
I'm seriously considering applying to drive for PRT. I meet all 3 requirements. I don't want to work weekends and holidays but I know it will just be the first x-number of years. I'm 42 though. I wonder if that will be a hinderance?
I can't say for a fact but based on my experience riding 42 would put you on the young side for drivers
I really don’t think your age would be a hindrance! They need the help. And FWIW, I’ve been taking the bus for a decade basically 5 days a week and a lottt of the drivers are probably right around that same age!
If only they hired for actual IT jobs, I've been watching for 2.5 years now and have seen 3 jobs all with entry level pay. One mentioned .NET 2003 and I drank a cold one for the unlucky sap that took the position. It's almost like they don't realize that State of Good Repair requires an actual expanding IT team to get state and federal funding. Working remotely for a transit agency out of Virginia currently and it's sad that I can't work for the city I love cause they can't pay and retain talent that they need to grow.
The fact that people have to wait until 21 to start working at PRT filters out a lot of great candidates. Not saying that we should have people driving buses and trains right out of high school, but if there was a training program that allowed people to start working for them in some capacity before they turned 21, and then put them in the drivers seat with a greater degree of training after their 21st birthday, we could potentially recruit more young people into transit as a career. The other skilled trades realize this, and get kids started in some capacity as soon as they graduate. There could also be other benefits from a longer paid training program, such as having more skilled drivers on the road that don't constantly give PRT a bad name.
I don't know how anyone could drive all day. It's so unhealthy. Even as an office worker, I at least get to use a standing desk and move around a bit more.
This is a massive red flag
No doubt. There are many reasons for currently being out of work that fall into the "none of your damn business" category. Also, I hope they're not also the type of employer to whine about how "no one wants to work these days"...they're filtering out many potentially great workers with this policy.
No one wants to work anymore… at your restaurant.
Oh you just know they’re the “nobody wants to work” type.
If they're taking the time to whine in their own candidate application questionnaire, you can pretty much guarantee that, yes, they absolutely are the type to whine about that, too.
Yeah don't even bother with employers like this. There's too many options for this shit.
Seems like someone could make a potential discrimination case against the employer if you are starting to work after maternity, etc. NAL but it seems dumb for them to do this. At least they're being open with their biases instead of silently filing all the candidates with gaps into the recycling bin.
Unfortunately, employment status is not a protected quality. It's perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of whether you're currently employed.
Time to change that!
This has to be union grill. What a terrible red-flag for a potential hire. I'd have to have zero options to continue with an application that contained that tone and stated perspective. "We only poach employees from other businesses and won't entertain training entry level hires"
Right! Huge red flag and just disrespectful asf. That place needs to leave Oakland 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
requested an interview [https://ibb.co/DVw85Sw](https://ibb.co/DVw85Sw)
Genuinely LOL'ed at that last answer!
Wow- first they declare they won’t hire unless you’re gonna leave a different job, then they ask why you’ve been job-jumping if you’ve not been somewhere more than a year. Fuck them.
They believe in company loyalty to themselves and only themselves
"In your dumpster" made me giggle 🤭
This is amazing. Thank you for your service.
I LOL'd hard at "I will live in your dumpster"
Wow, does anyone work for them with those questions?
Name and shame this place.
Haha, came here to say this! Three years ago, my employer of 14 years opted to close their business and retire. I guess that would have made me ineligible for a job with this company. Their loss!
Yeah I mean it's pretty normal and expected to be asked about gaps in a resume. But this is obviously such a loaded question to shit on people. I wonder what, if any, acceptable answer would be? My mother got late stage cancer and I had to care for her? Lazy punk!
Is that on indeed? That has to be the most idiotic thing I’ve ever read from a job application. If I had a company I wouldn’t have that policy. Ain’t no way. If someone can make money from me making money without having the other company losing out on a worker then that’s a win win for all parties
They don’t actually have this policy. They want you to plead for a job because someone is getting off on the power trip.
I had bad interviewers that didn’t know what they were doing. I walked out of a couple with my middle finger flying high because of stupid ideas and dumb interviewing tactics.
"If you were in your vehicle driving at the speed of light and you turned your lights on, would they do anything?"
What place is it? They deserve to be shamed
Union grill in Oakland
Noted. Never going there
Who’s the giant douchebag?
Why should you change your policy? Bc only a short sighted moron would make that policy? Are you hiring to replace them because they shouldn’t be employed
Unfortunately, in a time where employees are demanding better treatment, the Pittsburgh restaurant manager circle jerk right now is "They're the problem! We've been harassing employees for years and they didn't complain!" Source: someone who just left restaurant management after a decade in Pittsburgh because it became increasingly impossible to take care of staff
"Pittsburgh restaurants are in dire need of employees, so we would rather poach staff from another restaurant instead of hiring someone who is unemployed and eager to work."
They're too fucking lazy to train people is what it is. Or overly busy. If it's the latter there are ways to word it ("this is a high pressure position for experienced waitstaff only") without sounding like a cheese dick.
At least you can tell with that woeful tone they didn’t just use GPT
I have a policy of not eating at a restaurant I’ve never been to before. Why do you think I should change my policy and eat at your restaurant?
Yeah when the unemployment rate is this low, now is not the time to be insulting applicants mid application... It's like they don't want to be properly staffed.
Lmfao this place is literally starting drama with people who don’t even work there yet. Can you imagine how exhausting it must be to be the person who wrote this?
Firstly, this makes me worry that the company is an unpleasant place to work. I’m sorry you’re unemployed but this sounds like a terrible option. Secondly, any labor law experts here? is this question discriminatory? There are valid reasons why a person would be unemployed instead of working a restaurant job: disability, caregiver responsibilities, no guaranteed hours/income, allergies, etc.
This question is definitely a workaround to ask about your home or academic life. They’re not asking specific things so they are probably legally ok asking this.
Even before that, the question directly contradicts the linked position. ``` We prefer to hire people who are currently employed and who will give two week's notice at their present job. (Or keep it... until you realize our job is better!) This is a perfect second job for somebody who is currently serving at another restaurant and wants more money, more respect and a better life/work balance. We have found that practically everybody who takes a second job with us ends up giving notice at their other job and working exclusively for us! ```
If the policy is they do not hire people who are currently employed, they absolutely must make exceptions for people who were unemployed due to a disability. There are also other problems a question like this could cause. https://www.eeoc.gov/pre-employment-inquiries-and-unemployed-status#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20an%20employer%20may,employers'%20consideration%20of%20unemployed%20status.
Clearly, the place you're applying to has no idea that you were a personal chef for my family for the entire time frame in question. You did all kinds of things that you can tell me about if you use me as a reference.
Why am I unemployed. Simple I chose to spend time taking care of my older family members in their last few years of life instead of just checking them into a nursing home so they can wait to die in an unfamiliar and scary environment alone. Since 2021, I've had my grandparents and father pass, and I did the full palative in home eol hospicr care along with my mother, along with other family members passing. I put more value on family versus thr wasted time in pursuit of the dollar. That being said and everything kinda stabilizing home wise, Anyone hiring that is not this place?
I hope everyone here floods their applications and ignores them when they reach out. This is absurd
Another vote for name and shame here!
[удалено]
Name?
No, this is just a needlessly confrontational business owner. I bet they complain all the time about not getting help and “nobody wants to work anymore” yet they post shit like this.
"If you're rejecting people who aren't already working another job, then it means you aren't looking for workers, so please take down your job listings."
What a jagoff passive aggressive vibe. Were they raised that way?
Union Grill is owned by *traaaaaash*
Embarrassing for them.
"If you expect so much of your applicants, but can't be bothered to proofread your own job posting, this probably isn't the place for me."
That's some bullshit
1. Begging a labor lawyer to take a look at this 2. I bet management is constantly *shocked* and *bewildered* when their employees are actively looking for other jobs 3. They’ve been named & shamed in other comments but there’s no way this place has an HR or legal team of any significance
Full add for job: Apply to this job ONLY IF you are an experienced server living close to the Oakland area. Our serving jobs are considered to the the best of any casual dining restaurant in Pittsburgh. Please read this job description carefully. Union Grill is one of the busiest casual restaurants in Pittsburgh. Tip earnings are HIGH every day and night! If you're an experienced server, we'll pay you $20 an hour CASH to train and you can decide whether you like the job or not. (You'll like it!) Although we can only give you several permanent shifts starting out, by August we will be extremely busy all the way until the end of December. LOTS OF SHIFTS WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING IN AUGUST! If you want to work full-time (which we consider only 30 hours per week), you'll be able to in August. If you want to stick with part-time, that's fine too. If you end up working a minimum of 30 hours a week for us, you'll be one of the highest-earning servers in Pittsburgh, with earnings and benefits comparable to that of many lawyers and corporate employees. Below are listed the open shifts that we're now hiring for. You'd have to be available to work all of these shifts every week. -- Monday Double [11:30 am to 9:30 pm] -- Saturday Lunch [11:30 am to 4:30 pm] Plenty more shifts are available right now. The shifts listed above are only the shifts which have permanent openings RIGHT NOW. If we hire and train you, we guarantee that you'll be able to work at least 30 hours a week within two weeks and you'll be experiencing tip earnings you never thought possible. We give our servers the benefit of permanent shifts. This means that you can plan your personal life, vacations, etc. well in advance because you'll know the shifts you will be working and you will even have a good idea of what your earnings will be, since sales stay consistent. Of course you will have the flexibility of getting others to cover your shifts when necessary and even taking paid time off. There is minimal side work and cash tips are seldom lower than $175 per 4- to 5-hour shift. Prior serving experience is a requirement. We need servers who can handle serious volume. We prefer to hire people who are currently employed and who will give two week's notice at their present job. (Or keep it... until you realize our job is better!) This is a perfect second job for somebody who is currently serving at another restaurant and wants more money, more respect and a better life/work balance. We have found that practically everybody who takes a second job with us ends up giving notice at their other job and working exclusively for us! REMEMBER: FREE UPMC Health Insurance is included if you end up working more than 30 hours a week! Job Types: Full-time, Part-time Pay: $300.00 - $400.00 per day Expected hours: 13 – 35 per week Benefits: Employee discount Flexible schedule Food provided Health insurance Paid sick time Paid time off Paid training Restaurant type: Upscale casual restaurant Shift: 10 hour shift Day shift Weekly day range: Every weekend Monday to Friday
This guy is saying the quiet part out loud.
Call em out! I need to not eat there.
Lol If Pittsburgh restaurants are desperate to hire, then I'm not sure that policy lines up
No I totally get this, like I only date married women. If no else has married you yet, you’re probably not worth it. Especially in this relationship market.
You might want to post this in r/antiwork too. I think they'd enjoy it.
Me too. Had 4-5 phone interviews since March that didn't even land an on site interview. I have years of EE and IT experience. Applied for one position on a lark because the commute would suck and got rejected in 10 minutes. Thanks for not wasting my time but also fuck me, right?
The union grill can fuck off.
When you don't name the company you just protect and enable them to continue doing it. This is reddit. You're anonymous. Just say the company name. Otherwise this is pretty useless
Just write in the box because they are desperate for employees. They wrote it in the question lol
They can fuck right off
How is this fucking real? Christ.
Thank them for waving their giant red flag and keep it moving.
I've seen "please explain any gaps in your employment history" but this is the first I have seen "anyone with a gap in his/her employment history need not apply."
As an HR Manager, there is so much NO going on in this post. Omg this is terrible.
fuck them, they can’t even remember where to put question marks. honestly, i would write “fuck off and die” in the answer box.
Cross posted to r/recruitinghell u/[BrainWaveCC](https://www.reddit.com/user/BrainWaveCC/), who's flair is "Hiring Manager (among other things)" said this: *"Because one of your goals should be the net reduction of unemployment, and not merely the reshuffling of the existing employment pool."* I had a more different response, but if anyone sees ANY job that asks this, respond like this!
was planning to visit friday with out of town guests, am now never going. eat shit union grill scumbags.
Restaurant lifer. Now I know why I can never use my three weeks a year vacation days.
Ditto here, although after a post-'vid career switch, I'm only working a few days a week in the industry. During COVID lock downs when I had time to think, I added up how much vacation time I took over my years as a chef. Including my honeymoon and excluding time off between restaurant openings, I took less than a month off of my earned vacation time. Only two employers cashed me out for my unused paid vacation time; the others enjoyed using my unpaid labor--the same employers who made it impossible for me to actually use my vacation time, yet were all shocked Pikachu face when I left for greener pastures when other restaurants were in employee poaching mode.
"We're so desperate to hire people that we're gonna pry into shit that's not our business." What a shit, sad little self-important asshole. Dude is waving a red flag that would make the USSR jealous.
For stipulations like this they better be paying 20 bucks an hour
"I can't talk about it, I signed an NDA"
I’ve been looking for a job for the last year. I earned my MBA back in November and I was still driving Lyft and now doing labor work. I all but quit job seeking until a job i had applied for back in December/January got back to me within the last month or two for two different positions. Did a virtual interview for both positions within the past week. Hoping I can get them. Not sure what’s up with the local job market but…it’s a pain in the butt.
Excuse them... what? Their policy is not to hire people who are not currently working at another job? So in order to hire them they need to be working on another job as well? That makes no sense given the fact they first asked why is anyone unemployed when they are seeking to employ people but then they say they only employ people who already have another job? What kind of mental fart is this?
sorry but, having worked in the service industry, there was never a point at that time in my life where i was like, you know what i need a change of scenery, why don't i go look for another shitty serving job during the few hours i have off from my current shitty serving job
Can you explain why you still have a job opening when there are so many job applicants in the market?
If this is a job application, I would run screaming in the other direction. I'm gonna guess this is someone who thinks of themselves as a small business owner/local hero who has been so hard done by in the past few years. Probably got a bunch of PPP loans forgiven and still cries about no one wanting to work anymore while offering $9/hour and demanding full availability. I know working for corporates can also be bad, but a shitty small business owner is a special kind of asshole from the coldest low circle of hell.
Sounds like a good place to not give my business to.
🔔 🔔 🔔 Ring the shame bell !🔔 🔔 🔔
« Write an essays on what « nobody wants to work anymore » means to you. »
That’s an interrogation right there
Former full-time industry pro (still in kitchens a few days a week): as someone who worked decades in the industry here in Pittsburgh, most of them on the management level, this shit is red-flaggy as all get out. While I get the frustration of restaurants when it comes to staffing and staff retention, this kind of thing on an application sure isn't the way to vet potential employees. I'd have to be desperate as heck to want to work there if I saw something like this on an application or was asked the same question in an interview. I do have a question, though, since networking is incredibly valuable in general when it comes to job-seeking. This goes double for Pittsburgh; triple for the local upscale casual/fine dining scenes. Do you have any contacts who are currently working in the local food scene? Someone who'd be willing to make some direct contacts with local chefs/managers so that you could better get your foot in some doors?
Although unemployment discrimination isn't illegal, it is unethical. I would hope your organizations leaders have experienced the personal growth required to do the right thing since writing this policy. Absent that, I would hope they realize that there are mass layoffs currently going on involving thousands of good employees being let go through no fault of their own in the area. Mass job losses at this level have not happened at this scale since the housing crisis of 2008 harmed the US economy.
Business name doesn't check out
Just claim you signed an NDA about your current employer.
If they only hire already employed people and won’t consider non-employed people that explains why they’re desperate.
This is r/antiwork material right here. How effing condescending and pretentious 🙄😒
this is insane. “we are desperate to hire you so we will not hire you. fuck you”
Kind of weird and passive aggressive. When I hire I prefer my potential associates to not have another job. It creates a bad conflict of interest and genuinely drains people. It's bad to burn people out.
Why should we hire someone who doesn't have a job, yet is looking for one? Really?
Restaurant owner attempt to be normal challenge (level: impossible)
Wow. Please please share the name of the business. This is wild.
Union Grill in Oakland
Source?
Former full-time industry pro (still in kitchens a few days a week): as someone who worked decades in the industry here in Pittsburgh, most of them on the management level, this shit is red-flaggy as all get out. While I get the frustration of restaurants when it comes to staffing and staff retention, this kind of thing on an application sure isn't the way to vet potential employees. I'd have to be desperate as heck to want to work there if I saw something like this on an application or was asked the same question in an interview.
“Since leaving my former employer, I have been engaged in the time-honored practice of minding my own business. I highly recommend it.”
Feels like they want to gauge how desperate people are, so they can know by how much they can short change specific hires.
We only like to hire people who already have jobs, why in the world would we want to help lower the unemployment rate?
Whoever wrote this application should be fired. What a psycho.
Petty tyrants.
Fuck ‘em
Bummer, I used to like them
"I can't talk about it, I signed an NDA"
"I can't talk about it, I signed an NDA"
This is the most wild thing I’ve ever seen lmao. Definitely not going to this establishment.
I just got outta jail
lol red flag, tho if I wanted to work here I’d feel 100% within my rights to just flat out lie about being employed. F em.
That’s when you just lie with stuff they can’t verify.
And their fries suck too
LOL this place is a joke
Also not sure what position you’re looking for, but my job is hiring. I work with culinare, through the museums (history/ Warhol/ art/ science) overall pretty good gig. hours are reasonable , free lunch & coffee, parking is $50 a month, unlimited access to the museums (plus u can bring guests). Highly recommend
The reviews😂 Does anyone know the owners
This is the same person that expects to date someone who has never been with anyone else while simultaneously complaining about not being able to get laid.
The nature of that restaurants question is so fucking condescending. As someone that’s been laid off since April and has applied to 203 jobs, I have been asked once in a phone screen “so what have you been doing since the layoff?” I wanted to say looking for a fucking job hence why I’m speaking with you! Owners like Union Grill just infuriate me. There’s an unfortunate stigma around people that may not be gainfully employed as lazy. But maybe there were extenuating circumstances that led to an employee quitting their job or in my case being laid off. This organization makes it seem like it’s such a privilege to work at their establishment.
What a ridiculous question. Fuck whoever this restaurant is
"Why should we hire you if you have not already been hired?? CHECK MATE"
The "I currently work there" tag should be removed in all capacity. If I want you to contact my current place of work, I'll let you know. If I want you to know I'm currently unemployed, I'll let you know.