Pizza Today - September 2020 - 32

records as well as discipline and termination records. Such documentation
can help businesses successfully contest
claims.
"When documenting, businesses
should write up incidents as soon as they
occur and focus on the W's," Krugel says.
"That is, document who was involved,
who witnessed what, where events
occurred, when events occurred, what
happened, why do you think it happened
and what others' impressions or reactions
were."
Restaurant management should also
provide clear evidence of workplace rules
- an employee manual, for instance - and
note the circumstances surrounding any
previous warnings.
Third, monitor unemployment
claims.
Krugel suggests companies review
their unemployment claims regularly.
Management should monitor who's
receiving unemployment compensation and how much is being paid out to
ex-employees. Companies might also
compare the amount of time and money
devoted to contesting claims against the
funds directed into the larger unemployment pool.
"If money can be saved by not contesting too many claims, then perhaps
it's best to let those claims go," Krugel
acknowledges.
Furthermore, businesses should stay on
top of unscrupulous ex-employees who
file fake claims while working other jobs.
Bringing such unseemly actions to light
helps a restaurant protect its bottom line.
Finally, take a long-term view.
The surest path to limiting unemployment claims is to tighten up hiring
practices as much as possible and to
focus on turnover-reducing efforts. Making thoughtful institutional or cultural
changes can strengthen service and
reduce unemployment claims.
More long term, Brian Davis, president at BizCentral USA, an Orlandobased small business development center,
urges restaurants to join with industry
colleagues and other like-minded allies
to lobby state legislatures for better

030_PIZ_0920_OPunemployment.indd 32

government-backed assistance.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has created an economic crisis on a never-beforeseen scale and presenting your hardships
to your representatives can help ensure
that effective legislation is passed in your
favor, whether it takes effect this year or
this decade," Davis says. n
DANIEL P. SMITH Chicago-based
writer has covered business issues and best
practices for a variety of trade publications,
newspapers, and magazines.

SHOULD A RESTAURANT
DISCOURAGE ITS
EMPLOYEES FROM FILING
FOR UNEMPLOYMENT?
Many restaurants were forced to lay
off valuable team members amid the
COVID-19 pandemic, not unlike what
might happen when a restaurant closes
due to a natural disaster, fire or other
unexpected cause.
Strictly from the financial perspective,
restaurants benefit when former employees do not file unemployment claims. If
ex-employees do not pursue unemployment, after all, a business' unemployment tax rate doesn't rise - a definite win
for the restaurant's bottom line.
As tempting as it might be for
restaurants to preserve any capital and
lighten their financial obligations amid
a crisis event, Brian Davis of BizCentral
USA cautions owners against opposing
unemployment for their staff. In fact,
he suggests employers in such unique
situations research the unemployment
process themselves and assist employees
in their benefits filing by providing necessary documentation or evidence.
"You want to protect their livelihoods
and wellbeing, first and foremost, so help
them in any way you can to apply for unemployment benefits," Davis says. "Assisting employees in this time, even while
laying them off, will help you maintain
good faith so that you can re-hire them
as soon and as amicably as possible."

8/11/20 10:20 AM

Pizza Today - September 2020

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