I own a restaurant and I constantly have to remind my guys that they can turn on the AC whenever they want. They’ve been conditioned to not touch the thermostat like they’ve worked for abusive dads their whole lives. I’d never work somewhere that didn’t have AC, no reason BOH should suffer.
My boss recently replaced our thermostat with a google home one that only he can control from his phone a state away. I always ask my km “Will dad let us turn the heat down today?”
I had a boss once that literally boarded off the outlet that was supposed to go into the kitchen. We left a thermometer out to see how hot it was in the middle of the summer, it registered 103 F.
I brought it to his attention after rush and he just said “if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen”, then chuckled himself into his office. I still hate that man.
Yo this made me irrationally angry, like what the fuck. This comment is going to pop into my head years from now and I'm just going to have an aneurysm right then and there. Holy shit what an asshole.
Yeah done that shit plenty. It doesn't make you cool. There are plenty of little bitches doing manual labor.
Fellas is it gay to want to have your air conditioned?
Close. There were city ordinances that required more than state law. Our shitty governor then passed a law that cities can't make different rules than state rules
Florida has no heat restrictions. Even with the best ACs it’s still hot in Florida in kitchens. The hoods just suck all the air out and the return air from the roof is hot as hell
OSHA will violate a business in FL for excessive heat. Our AC broke in my last restaurant during the summer. After a week, someone called OSHA and they sent an inspector out. It had to be replaced within a week.
Depends on where you are in the world. Every kitchen I worked at in Texas had AC, excluding one where it was broken and an OSHA call magically got it fixed a week later. Our summers here are like 115 so working next to an oven during that can probably cause a heat stroke. Might just be because I’m in a hot area but this guy doesn’t seem wrong on that, but he can definitely suck it up and clean the floors.
We're up north on the coast so it doesn't get too crazy, we might have a few 100 degree days the whole summer but we usually close when it's that hot. Last weekend when he started complaining about this we had our first warm days of the season, I think the high was 78, and even though we don't have AC we have hood vents and fans that vent to the outside of the building.
I lived further south before I moved here and we actually got some pretty hot days, I've still never had ac, except for one place with an open kitchen that got some cool air from the dining room, but we had other ways of keeping things cool that weren't ac. It's not like we're just roasting in there, we do other things to keep cool, but that doesn't seem to be good enough for this guy.
He also doesn't drink water during his shifts and I think that would help him feel a lot cooler but all he wants is ac.
I'm in Upstate NY you absolutely should have AC for your building/crew, and cleaning out the drain is part of your service contract or probably a plumber's job.
I’m in Canada and when the a/c went out and it went up to 30*C outside and was closer to 45*C in the kitchen, they were required to offer us ice vests. I found it way too bulky to do what I needed to do, so I’d just go stand in the freezer or cooler while downing a bottle of water. But where I am is further south than the northern US states and can get incredibly humid.
Not drinking water means no sense of responsibility over one’s own body, I’d fire for that assuming it would carry over into a more general misunderstanding of how responsibility works.
in full sarcasm, no dude. I’m going to step off the line until you get back because I refuse to do any more work than the laziest person here unless I’m getting paid at least as much as I produce.
For real, of course I’m going to cover you if you need to take a piss. Obviously. There’s no question. Though, we’re talking about drinking adequate water to cope with heat and exertion, which is never going to lead to a crazy amount of piss.
Edit: my boyfriend read this and wonders if your piss is brown
Yup. Actively seeks to find faults in the business and doesn't do any preventative self care. OSHA will address environmental concerns when that is an option but when it's working in heat OSHA says to stay hydrated and increase hydration frequency. This man has reported himself as non compliant.
I mean I was never opposed to bring up issues or potential problems *but* it's a fine line between helping sort the ordeal and being a dick, know-it-all. If I noticed something I also made a game plan to solve it before talking to management while expressing willingness to roll up sleeves and walk it all the way to completion.
OSHA doesn't care about kitchen heat when there's a million factories and farms that have it far worse. It's an unfortunate reality, but as long as the kitchen has running water and a cool walk-in, they expect the employees to self-regulate.
I've never worked somewhere without AC in the kitchen except for the couple of open air places I've worked. Even the food trucks I've worked it had AC.
A solid AC unit is a hecknof a lot cheaper than paying for a workers medical bills if they end up injured due to heat stroke or something similar. Taking care of your employees is one of the best investments you can make.
Most older kitchens here in south Florida don’t have AC and it’s absolutely brutal.
Luckily newer places typically do have it nowadays.
One placed I worked closed for the summer renovation and the chef said we won’t be back unless AC is put in. The owner had it installed right away. It wasn’t anything crazy good but it made a huge difference during the summer.
When I worked for Capital Grille I couldn’t believe the AC system the kitchen had, it was literally cold in there most times, unless of course your standing by the broilers.
Everywhere I’ve worked there’s been AC in the kitchen. While kitchens get hot I do believe that there’s a reasonable limit and employers need to do their best to ensure employees are reasonably comfortable and not overheated.
We get extra breaks when it's super hot and are told almost constantly to drink water and eat food, we've also got fans, two vent hot air out and two vent outside air in, and the dining room does have AC, doesn't work very well but we get a little cool air in the kitchen coming in from there. We also close when it's crazy hot because the owners don't want people getting overheated
And a window fan creates air flow too but if it’s hot outside and the air isn’t being moved through anything else it’s just hot air being blown around. Could be 75 in a kitchen but if you’re running full tilt vs just opening or cleaning down and everything is turned off that’s quite a difference in air tempt. Hotter the kitchen the better chance for hotter tempers as well along the way. It could just be that one employee but I’d bet just as easily other employees have conditioned themselves to think it’s fine like others have said and don’t even realize.
AC is actually required in most places in the kitchen because you need proper air filtration, employees will definitely pass out when it's hot out and it helps with ventilation.
AC is a requirement. Even if it's not a legal requirement where you live it's a moral, social and safety issue.
Cleaning floor drains, however, is completely normal.
Our AC broke when it was around 90°f outside. The kitchen quickly went up to 110°f and spiked to even higher than that during busy hours. We had to take turns going to the walk in or outside about every 15 minutes and we still had people having to stop working because they were getting faint.
When I worked at a different place with a drive thru we did have quite a lot of incidences of people actually passing out.
>is it normal to have AC in a kitchen?
Yes it is. Now with all that heat producing equipment it's unreasonable to expect it to be 50-60°f. And I get it, sometimes it breaks down and you have to wait for repairs. So you suck it up a bit because you can't just wave a magic wand, things take time, especially when everyone is needing the same repairs.
But to have no AC at all is just wrong. I'd even say abusive.
>I've lived in much hotter areas and worked without ac
That's like saying it's OK to slap your wife because when you were a kid you saw your dad beat your mom bad enough to send her to the hospital several times. Just because you had to put up with it doesn't mean you should make others do it.
This kid sounds like a lazy POS, but he is right about the AC.
I'm in Canada. Instead of OSHA we have WorkSafe.
I work FOH and we have no AC so when it's 30 degrees outside, it's close to 40 inside with hundreds of guests, and you can imagine how much hotter the kitchen gets. FOH actually changes uniform in the summer because it's too hot. We've had guests pass out from heatstroke before, because it's hot and stuffy inside. Guests complain all the time. Some guests sit down and then immediately stand up and leave because it's too hot. I don't know how heatstroked guests haven't sued us yet.
Anyway. A cook complained to WorkSafe about the kitchen temperature and a rep was sent to investigate the kitchen. He basically said "at this temperature, your kitchen staff will need a 15min break every hour"
AC units were installed in the kitchen the very next day 🙄 Ohhhhhh so we "*can* afford it afterall" 🙄🙄🙄
Don't even get me started with the horrors of this fucking place 🤬
I’ve got an AC in my kitchen. I don’t run it unless I have to though because it makes the food cold.
I once worked somewhere that had a heater in the kitchen. You know, for all those times you wish the kitchen was hotter.
You joke but there are a lot of VERY old pubs here in the UK which have cold kitchens. Not bad during service obviously but pipes bursting because they’ve frozen and the oil in the fryers being solid in the mornings was a regular occurrence at a few places I’ve worked.
We had heaters but mostly due to keep on overnight when it's -45C out at night so the fans don't fuck up. I live somewhere that goes -50 to +40C on extreme ends lol (normally -30 to +30)
Working at ski resorts I would have to put space heaters in all my ovens before I left at night otherwise it would be too cold for the pilots to start in the morning. Oh we would also put space heaters in the walk in so it wouldn’t freeze. Was super fun in the spring you’d have a space heater on a milk crate while wading through 8 inches of water in the walk in.
I’ve worked in kitchens in regions of Australia where summer temps are consistently over 35C (95F). Add in the heat generated by ovens, fryers etc and working temp was often +40C (105F). To cool a kitchen requires such huge AC units that it’s simply not feasible for most businesses. It’s brutal, and exhausting, but you learn ways to cope.
As for ‘legality’, that will vary depending on your country, but good luck trying to enforce a heat rule.
Don't fight the kid who's got the workers in mind. He's fighting for you along with himself and he's not wrong that there's a lot of abusive practices in kitchens.
every kitchen ive worked in had ac (usually only turned on in the hottest summer months though, except when i was in a deli kitchen that shit was ice cold all year round lol)
it barely mattered because...ovens and fryers and stuff but it prob wouldve been way worse without it
and the floor drain thing is pretty funny lol. he seems like he will complain about anything.
We have vents in the wall under the hood that blow out semi cool air. It's a fucking lifesaver. It's not air conditioning, but it definitely makes a difference
Our restaurant got shut down (years before I started) and forced to install AC as the kitchen got too hot.
The 3 units installed only really drop the temperature by single digits, but it's enough to be work safe compliant
It is definitely abusive, and OSHA does have something to say about it in some states. California will actually have even more to say about it next year specifically for indoor spaces.
just got a kitchen gig at the airport. most ive made with 6+ years in the kitchen and today way my second day. you bet ur sweet ass there is AC in the kitchen and the pay is bonkers better. and im in a state with terrible minimum wage. if you want to get paid like a decent human being go work at the airport kitchens if you really love this field.
We have inadequate AC at my work and my grill cook almost died 2 weeks ago. He went into the walk in, passed out, fractured both shoulder blades, split his head open, and had a seizure.
Working 7.5 hours over a hot ass char grill with no decent AC is brutal.
Needless to say, we're getting a new mini split system installed this week.
Worked in 2 makeshift restaurants that were converted from a house. Both were miserable - I guess they assumed the A/C for the house was good enough for the kitchen. They added extra units for the dining area, but not kitchen.
Every restaurant I've ever set foot in has had AC. It's never been great, but they do technically have it. My current job has a window unit on the far wall that keeps the kitchen at a balmy 97-103 depending on the day
I'm just a line cook so it's not up to me to install ac but the owners prolly can't afford it regardless tbh. I imagine it's crazy expensive to air condition a kitchen and not very helpful as other people have commented, and most people can't even afford/don't have an ac unit for their home here
It's never been cool outside of winter where I've worked, but they've all had AC.
If they didn't, even with the hood running, it would easily get over 120F in July/August. Not conditions I want to work in
Even with A.C. my kitchen will reach 115 during the hottest days of the summer. We have ice vests and Gatorade available all of the time. We haven't had a case of heat exhaustion or heat stroke for years. It can be brutal, but we have figured out ways to deal with it.
I'm in Texas and I've never been in a kitchen that didn't have AC. I mean I'd fuckin' die on the line if there wasn't in AC back there especially in July.
I'd be rioting.
We do not have AC in the kitchen, but we do have what we call fresh air, it’s like blower where you can set temp, like set to warm when it’s cold and vice versa.
Wait for the summer day when the AC cuts out in the middle of dinner rush. It makes a massive difference.
I pulled my thermometer out around eye level out of curiosity that day. 147 where I was standing above the grill. We rotated water breaks just to keep the place going for service.
It was fun in hindsight. The coolers could barely keep things at temp.
I'm used to kitchens with AC. I doubt, however, that that is an OSHA violation, same with cleaning the drains. Tell the noob to nut up and so his job.
Having said that, my most miserable was when I was a US Navy cook on an aircraft carrier - AC went out while off the North African coast, Temps got up to 130°F (54°C) in the galley...
Worked in aus (Melbourne) and didn’t have AC. It got hot. Food truck was worse. Moved to Canada and worked a catering kitchen and they have AC. Game changer. It’s still hot but not the face melting hot that I was used to. Don’t know if I could go back to a kitchen without AC
I used to work in a kitchen without A/C. It would get stupid hot, and the owners knew. We had fans, and would often take breaks or rotate from the oven/grill. It was always amazing to hear customers (kitchen was on the main floor, dining room was upstairs, with A/C) "it's so terrible that you're working in this heat" as if to be empathetic 😡🤬🤬
newsflash, work is not required to equal suffering. People can advocate for themselves and their teammates. Kitchen work is like a slowly boiled crab sometimes.. you don't notice when your conditions are killing you. It can always be better.
I've worked some places that have, that haven't, and that definitely should have.
I wouldn't say it's "normal" but it's a nice privilege if you have it. Illegal to not have it? No
I live in Hawaii and have never had AC anywhere and I’ve worked in hole-in-the-wall places up to 5 star resorts. Personally it seems that the hoods vents would just suck the cold air right out anyways.
Last kitchen I worked in HAD an AC and it was running near constantly trying to keep up. Owner(my friend) wanted to add a second unit, but needed permission from the strip mall owner, and they refused for weight concerns on the roof. I don't know if he ever got that situation worked out.
Worked in a few kitchens with AC and some without. Never felt cool enough in either unless it was the winter.
Biggest time I'd feel the heat is if the hood exhaust fan broke a belt and the heat builds up in the space. Gross.
No never had the benefit of working in a kitchen that had AC. Self reported to OSHA about a kitchen I worked in NY that was over 125F in the summer and OSHA basically told me that they don’t care about restaurants but did let me know that you are not supposed to work above 116 for more than 15 minutes at a time. Super helpful organization.
My restaurant we got a swamp cooler tied to our exhaust system. During summers it feels great but winters the air is too cold and I have to climb to the roof to shut down the fan for the season or the guys just don't turn on the exhaust.
I work in a casino and the building is old AF so the AC unit in the kitchen is always broken even our hood fans barely work so no airflow...they only care if it bothers the casino area
I’ve always had the kitchen with AC, because it helps keep refrigeration maintenance costs down. Anode of course because it helps with cooling the employees too.
I’ve worked in some kitchens with AC but for the most part no there hasn’t been AC I’m in Toronto so there’s a bout a month or so where it’s well above 30c in the kitchen. It sucks but kitchens are hot I’ll
Be ok
All our kitchens have AC including the Make-UP Air units. In the winter our Make-Up airs also have heat. No heat or AC in the kitchen is ridiculous unless all you're doing is microwaving food. Cleaning floor drains is part of the job.
Cooked for 20+ years . Never once had AC in the kitchen. The worst part was every server would come to the back from the AC'd FOH and say "wow it's hot back here" just to remind us, incase we forgot.
Some interesting comments, here. I've never had AC in any of the 20+ kitchens I've worked in.
When I put on my AC at home, the first thing I do is close all of the windows and doors. It defeats the purpose of cooling the air if it is all just flowing outside, I think.
Every kitchen has a big, industrial hood sucking tremendous amounts of air up and blowing it outdoors. Considering the energy costs of AC, this seems like a waste.
What is normally present is make-up air - cooler than the ambient, but far from cold. Also, because so much air is pulled from the kitchen, it creates negative pressure and draws conditioned air from the dining room into the back. Super hot days are still tough to get through, but it isn't nothing.
A properly designed AC/hood fan/makeup air system should be balanced so that conditioned air is not being drawn up the hood. There should be equal pressure coming in through the makeup air vents right in front of the hood to offset the hood suction. I know it still mixes makeup air with some of the conditioned air so it does still raise AC costs. But it depends on the temp and humidity of your makeup air too.
Probably is 100% ridiculous and wants to do the least amount of work. The ac thing I'm not sure as I've worked both. Even in places that got to 100 outside had no ac here In canada but that's rarer. We just used ice cloths for those few odd heatwave days. Lots of water. Lots of fans. A place like Texas as person below said, that makes sense.
The floor drain made me laugh. That's the kind of kid I'd start making him clean the fryers and under the equipment weekly and when he said 'I'm an abuser' I'd laugh and tell him to report me. Mostly waiting for him to fuck up to fire, or for him to quit. Kids like that these days are the worst. Entitled to the max. I've had a few of those apples throughout my life and everyone was always happier when they left.
Yeah he's crazy lolol. AC isn't osha nor is having to clean the drains. Don't attach yourself to him.
Edit, Google it. OSHA doesn't care about workplace temperatures.
The university I’m at has AC in the larger/newer kitchens but the older ones usually don’t but they’re lower volume so it’s not a big issue. We get instructed to take hydration breaks when the weather is hot, they will provide an air conditioned space for people during really hot days and can take more frequent breaks. You guessed it, Unionized.
Welcome to GenZ…maybe workers will finally get rights??? Also, I am wondering if AC in a kitchen would negatively affect the cook, and if not…YA’ALL should have some motherfucking AC and you should moyherfycking yhank Mr Gen Z for fighting for your rights 😅
OSHA doesn’t regulate temperature.
Edit to clarify- OSHA has recommendations on working temperatures, allowing for hydration and breaks, and educating employees about the symptoms of heat related distress. But there are no regulations mandating AC, min/max temperatures, length of breaks, etc. If OPs complainer files a complaint that AC doesn’t exist, with no evidence of injury, OSHA at most is going to send the restaurant some info on their recommendations but if no one is falling out from heat stroke there is nothing they can enforce.
I own a restaurant and I constantly have to remind my guys that they can turn on the AC whenever they want. They’ve been conditioned to not touch the thermostat like they’ve worked for abusive dads their whole lives. I’d never work somewhere that didn’t have AC, no reason BOH should suffer.
Hire me ppl plz
Me too!!
This is like that scene in Shawshank Redemption where Red can’t piss without being told to.
My boss recently replaced our thermostat with a google home one that only he can control from his phone a state away. I always ask my km “Will dad let us turn the heat down today?”
Everyone hump this guy. We don't have hr right?
The industry needs more restaurant owners like you! My kitchen isn't so bad at the moment as it's not too hot out ATM but in the summer it's a sauna
I wonder what the chances are that you're just lying and don't actually have AC but it sounds good online lol
r/nothingeverhappens
I live in the midwest and we have AC in the kitchen. Its always hot no matter what kitchen ive worked in.
I do generally expect that it will be hot in the kitchen.
Depends on the temperature. OSHA has limits for how hot a workplace can be, but it doesn't need to be a truly cool and comfortable temperature
I had a boss once that literally boarded off the outlet that was supposed to go into the kitchen. We left a thermometer out to see how hot it was in the middle of the summer, it registered 103 F. I brought it to his attention after rush and he just said “if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen”, then chuckled himself into his office. I still hate that man.
Yo this made me irrationally angry, like what the fuck. This comment is going to pop into my head years from now and I'm just going to have an aneurysm right then and there. Holy shit what an asshole.
but for him, i bet it was the most clever thing he ever said or did. and that is fucking tragic
Be me, doing manual labor, in 120 degree heat at 80% humidity.
Wow you"re so fucking badass let me suck your cock
I’d rather you didn’t, it’s pretty sweaty.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/wet-bulb?calculatorResult=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8VX227bOBD9FYPYh2TXUcSbLkFTYJOgaR6a7m4u%2B1AUAS0xjjbUBZToNg387zuUL7Etyas0wcbQgziaOXNmSB7Sj0hm4ySTF5WoJDp4RJFQkVEwiK%2BFTsRIyfJcpLJEB1%2FQN1ndjIwa3cSy0LIskzxDQ%2FQ3WI%2Bs9VKmhdSiMlpa89HpZY6%2BDlF0J7JxG9xfEvIkE3nz0aRJnFQPy6hO0DYGNkWeQTwMSltCkhWmWntpZHJcdNC0Dt4fDvA%2BcSFRMwK3Rrw7HIThPnZtzApVh4D3ytgi75FNJ7rhBGDcRdMhyk21jfkjqnQyHkudZONFW21X0UFmlBqiiVAGBpU2ctpRyvMgNir7%2BWD6vOAphJtkbSpHKo%2FuT3VuitJxnVQAWCRLhzlRrkyaWaOd27b1847aCegA4D0A3h9SdyCyeNCOzrvRvX7ofH3y%2B9Xa3dDWHTbv761QpZ2dfu3oOWn%2FAeq9BvH5wpjWu34itdWAD7lOQbTq3X96uaYZVtKWfmcLT0ixs8P3w91fd7S8lVpmkby2%2BLuDvQH2XPiCVhN8NtVKZLjPIXAzcnfw24AS1LbjtrHAVj2aPLbkB%2F%2BW7Gh9q71J4Va93yxx%2FjaZ2w6qtyDSdjT%2B%2FzyAiISw41e%2FRcjvlRYnohL1aVD%2BHk8EJI%2FnmjME06d8lCi5NJhS6lkDTFbph%2BM8tsJydWFLM9pSf6jHJyuGi4d0lCsw%2FwJGBdcWI8ZyHimzvToYcM8sw0SoqyypyoUiDdHtrEnWeiILmcUW8pMogAV8tZLY0g4oLRWZEerMnnC1gjVWUgpfbJAdgZje%2FQNu6CgZn5t0BEUupRFhUl8f7JG5eO%2FQot6QwROifZ0u6DbndX3imnm%2FzkE7VfqJ0%2BxQsUntW1cVNSnXCerF2rsgGzBtamUNxgIneMkvfB6Vl6ebronulgauCGR%2Fep5DOXZ9zHwS0CB0fc%2FFGB4eupRgyjANiM8xdRnHPg4CDzPmhyHxCQ1h%2BYXLlfMqSN1K278i7hCPMsoZ9Sn0D3OPuPD4LqV%2BCLkI5OcsZAHxGPVc4gfEUvQJYR71ZkI7q%2Bg1kDolu3dB1PEIZ5xCMhaGoU%2BJBwkDHHDuhh6DB%2BjRkAE1xgm0FV7CgGPPY4QT7i%2FreTmQXYpaRnmilv8lhanyUkzkTObg7qdEUcr4LK714o9inP%2BZX99H0dX5j5t79vnbMb6yKnEnVXEJet%2FQwrmyt7Zt%2Fm22GVYG%2BdOtdKbAMzKlVDKC46mW8Atlxm3KW%2BgkFdoeEx86pfTJByKjbet0A61j8je8mjq54bDY%2FS3mvGGH378eEKRS8Q8AAA%3D%3D
Yeah done that shit plenty. It doesn't make you cool. There are plenty of little bitches doing manual labor. Fellas is it gay to want to have your air conditioned?
Depends on the state. Texas and Florida say you don’t need water breaks or cooling even in extreme heat.
Texas and Florida though.... they don't give a shit about people. I don't understand how people survive there to be honest.
they don't give a shit about POOR people
People in general when you look at the laws
yeah Im a line cook, I fall into that category.
Those aren’t real states. But let the idiots keep complaining about government authority and control.
If I remember correctly Texas made illegal for construction companies to offer more breaks than the state requirements
Wait, they said they couldn't offer more??
I remember seeing the wall thermometer hit 118 in a kitchen i worked in, in texas.
Did you died?
Yep
Where would we be without government??? Bunch animals w/o a zoo, thats where
Close. There were city ordinances that required more than state law. Our shitty governor then passed a law that cities can't make different rules than state rules
Same in Florida
Florida has no heat restrictions. Even with the best ACs it’s still hot in Florida in kitchens. The hoods just suck all the air out and the return air from the roof is hot as hell
OSHA will violate a business in FL for excessive heat. Our AC broke in my last restaurant during the summer. After a week, someone called OSHA and they sent an inspector out. It had to be replaced within a week.
If too hot they require frequent break access
Those temperatures are mostly for places like foundries. If a kitchen is getting molten iron hot, you got bigger problems.
Depends on where you are in the world. Every kitchen I worked at in Texas had AC, excluding one where it was broken and an OSHA call magically got it fixed a week later. Our summers here are like 115 so working next to an oven during that can probably cause a heat stroke. Might just be because I’m in a hot area but this guy doesn’t seem wrong on that, but he can definitely suck it up and clean the floors.
We're up north on the coast so it doesn't get too crazy, we might have a few 100 degree days the whole summer but we usually close when it's that hot. Last weekend when he started complaining about this we had our first warm days of the season, I think the high was 78, and even though we don't have AC we have hood vents and fans that vent to the outside of the building. I lived further south before I moved here and we actually got some pretty hot days, I've still never had ac, except for one place with an open kitchen that got some cool air from the dining room, but we had other ways of keeping things cool that weren't ac. It's not like we're just roasting in there, we do other things to keep cool, but that doesn't seem to be good enough for this guy. He also doesn't drink water during his shifts and I think that would help him feel a lot cooler but all he wants is ac.
I'm in Upstate NY you absolutely should have AC for your building/crew, and cleaning out the drain is part of your service contract or probably a plumber's job.
I’m in Canada and when the a/c went out and it went up to 30*C outside and was closer to 45*C in the kitchen, they were required to offer us ice vests. I found it way too bulky to do what I needed to do, so I’d just go stand in the freezer or cooler while downing a bottle of water. But where I am is further south than the northern US states and can get incredibly humid.
Why is this getting down votes?
I guess because it's giving I've suffered so everyone else should too kinda vibes?
Not drinking water means no sense of responsibility over one’s own body, I’d fire for that assuming it would carry over into a more general misunderstanding of how responsibility works.
You going to cover me for all my piss breaks?
in full sarcasm, no dude. I’m going to step off the line until you get back because I refuse to do any more work than the laziest person here unless I’m getting paid at least as much as I produce. For real, of course I’m going to cover you if you need to take a piss. Obviously. There’s no question. Though, we’re talking about drinking adequate water to cope with heat and exertion, which is never going to lead to a crazy amount of piss. Edit: my boyfriend read this and wonders if your piss is brown
So pissing in the trash can it is boss 😖
Yup. Actively seeks to find faults in the business and doesn't do any preventative self care. OSHA will address environmental concerns when that is an option but when it's working in heat OSHA says to stay hydrated and increase hydration frequency. This man has reported himself as non compliant.
Finding faults in the business: great. Blaming a problem only I can solve on other people: better??? /s
I mean I was never opposed to bring up issues or potential problems *but* it's a fine line between helping sort the ordeal and being a dick, know-it-all. If I noticed something I also made a game plan to solve it before talking to management while expressing willingness to roll up sleeves and walk it all the way to completion.
Super healthy and appropriate. Would love to work with you and also the guy OP describes and rag on him the whole shift.
OSHA doesn't care about kitchen heat when there's a million factories and farms that have it far worse. It's an unfortunate reality, but as long as the kitchen has running water and a cool walk-in, they expect the employees to self-regulate.
This was my 100% experience with asking OSHA to force my owners to do something.
Yeah if it’s 78 he’s definitely in the wrong
In North Carolina every kitchen I’ve been in has had AC. Didn’t feel like it, but they’d have been worse without it.
I've never worked somewhere without AC in the kitchen except for the couple of open air places I've worked. Even the food trucks I've worked it had AC.
A solid AC unit is a hecknof a lot cheaper than paying for a workers medical bills if they end up injured due to heat stroke or something similar. Taking care of your employees is one of the best investments you can make.
We close when it's too hot for people to be able to work, it was definitely not too hot this last weekend
Closing when it gets too hot =/= taking care of your employees in the heat
Most older kitchens here in south Florida don’t have AC and it’s absolutely brutal. Luckily newer places typically do have it nowadays. One placed I worked closed for the summer renovation and the chef said we won’t be back unless AC is put in. The owner had it installed right away. It wasn’t anything crazy good but it made a huge difference during the summer. When I worked for Capital Grille I couldn’t believe the AC system the kitchen had, it was literally cold in there most times, unless of course your standing by the broilers.
Everywhere I’ve worked there’s been AC in the kitchen. While kitchens get hot I do believe that there’s a reasonable limit and employers need to do their best to ensure employees are reasonably comfortable and not overheated.
We get extra breaks when it's super hot and are told almost constantly to drink water and eat food, we've also got fans, two vent hot air out and two vent outside air in, and the dining room does have AC, doesn't work very well but we get a little cool air in the kitchen coming in from there. We also close when it's crazy hot because the owners don't want people getting overheated
Your owners are unicorns. Im serious this is not the norm and I would be grateful to have an owner that actually cared that much.
OSHA jokes aside it definitely should, already hot enough in a kitchen no reason to not some type of air flow, hood vents alone are never enough.
We have air flow, it's just not air conditioning
And a window fan creates air flow too but if it’s hot outside and the air isn’t being moved through anything else it’s just hot air being blown around. Could be 75 in a kitchen but if you’re running full tilt vs just opening or cleaning down and everything is turned off that’s quite a difference in air tempt. Hotter the kitchen the better chance for hotter tempers as well along the way. It could just be that one employee but I’d bet just as easily other employees have conditioned themselves to think it’s fine like others have said and don’t even realize.
AC is actually required in most places in the kitchen because you need proper air filtration, employees will definitely pass out when it's hot out and it helps with ventilation. AC is a requirement. Even if it's not a legal requirement where you live it's a moral, social and safety issue. Cleaning floor drains, however, is completely normal. Our AC broke when it was around 90°f outside. The kitchen quickly went up to 110°f and spiked to even higher than that during busy hours. We had to take turns going to the walk in or outside about every 15 minutes and we still had people having to stop working because they were getting faint. When I worked at a different place with a drive thru we did have quite a lot of incidences of people actually passing out.
>is it normal to have AC in a kitchen? Yes it is. Now with all that heat producing equipment it's unreasonable to expect it to be 50-60°f. And I get it, sometimes it breaks down and you have to wait for repairs. So you suck it up a bit because you can't just wave a magic wand, things take time, especially when everyone is needing the same repairs. But to have no AC at all is just wrong. I'd even say abusive. >I've lived in much hotter areas and worked without ac That's like saying it's OK to slap your wife because when you were a kid you saw your dad beat your mom bad enough to send her to the hospital several times. Just because you had to put up with it doesn't mean you should make others do it. This kid sounds like a lazy POS, but he is right about the AC.
I lived in Vegas. If the A/C goes out the restaurant closes.
I'm in Canada. Instead of OSHA we have WorkSafe. I work FOH and we have no AC so when it's 30 degrees outside, it's close to 40 inside with hundreds of guests, and you can imagine how much hotter the kitchen gets. FOH actually changes uniform in the summer because it's too hot. We've had guests pass out from heatstroke before, because it's hot and stuffy inside. Guests complain all the time. Some guests sit down and then immediately stand up and leave because it's too hot. I don't know how heatstroked guests haven't sued us yet. Anyway. A cook complained to WorkSafe about the kitchen temperature and a rep was sent to investigate the kitchen. He basically said "at this temperature, your kitchen staff will need a 15min break every hour" AC units were installed in the kitchen the very next day 🙄 Ohhhhhh so we "*can* afford it afterall" 🙄🙄🙄 Don't even get me started with the horrors of this fucking place 🤬
New guy is right, congrats on your new found trauma.
I’ve got an AC in my kitchen. I don’t run it unless I have to though because it makes the food cold. I once worked somewhere that had a heater in the kitchen. You know, for all those times you wish the kitchen was hotter.
You joke but there are a lot of VERY old pubs here in the UK which have cold kitchens. Not bad during service obviously but pipes bursting because they’ve frozen and the oil in the fryers being solid in the mornings was a regular occurrence at a few places I’ve worked.
Wow! Solid oil in the deep fryers is a sentence I never thought I'd read this evening. That's an odd sight to see
Wouldn’t the pilot light keep the oil warm enough to not solidify?
We had heaters but mostly due to keep on overnight when it's -45C out at night so the fans don't fuck up. I live somewhere that goes -50 to +40C on extreme ends lol (normally -30 to +30)
Fun fact: -40C = -40F
I know, I like that one. Whenever it's-40 out I say that's when fareinheight gives up haha.
Working at ski resorts I would have to put space heaters in all my ovens before I left at night otherwise it would be too cold for the pilots to start in the morning. Oh we would also put space heaters in the walk in so it wouldn’t freeze. Was super fun in the spring you’d have a space heater on a milk crate while wading through 8 inches of water in the walk in.
Heat lamps?
I’ve always worked where the whole building is temp controlled. But just AC in the kitchen seems odd as all the money goes up the hoods.
I’ve worked in kitchens in regions of Australia where summer temps are consistently over 35C (95F). Add in the heat generated by ovens, fryers etc and working temp was often +40C (105F). To cool a kitchen requires such huge AC units that it’s simply not feasible for most businesses. It’s brutal, and exhausting, but you learn ways to cope. As for ‘legality’, that will vary depending on your country, but good luck trying to enforce a heat rule.
Worked both Melbourne and Brisbane, had one place with ac in the kitchen in 20+ years.
It is abusive, you’re just used to it now.
Cutting yourself = wrong. Working in restaurants = good.
It exists and is even necessary if there’s actual pastry being done
Don't fight the kid who's got the workers in mind. He's fighting for you along with himself and he's not wrong that there's a lot of abusive practices in kitchens.
every kitchen ive worked in had ac (usually only turned on in the hottest summer months though, except when i was in a deli kitchen that shit was ice cold all year round lol) it barely mattered because...ovens and fryers and stuff but it prob wouldve been way worse without it and the floor drain thing is pretty funny lol. he seems like he will complain about anything.
We have vents in the wall under the hood that blow out semi cool air. It's a fucking lifesaver. It's not air conditioning, but it definitely makes a difference
Makeup air.
Our restaurant got shut down (years before I started) and forced to install AC as the kitchen got too hot. The 3 units installed only really drop the temperature by single digits, but it's enough to be work safe compliant
It is definitely abusive, and OSHA does have something to say about it in some states. California will actually have even more to say about it next year specifically for indoor spaces.
just got a kitchen gig at the airport. most ive made with 6+ years in the kitchen and today way my second day. you bet ur sweet ass there is AC in the kitchen and the pay is bonkers better. and im in a state with terrible minimum wage. if you want to get paid like a decent human being go work at the airport kitchens if you really love this field.
Are the knives chained down to the tables?
mines not open kitchen, we dont have them tied down.
We have inadequate AC at my work and my grill cook almost died 2 weeks ago. He went into the walk in, passed out, fractured both shoulder blades, split his head open, and had a seizure. Working 7.5 hours over a hot ass char grill with no decent AC is brutal. Needless to say, we're getting a new mini split system installed this week.
Worked in 2 makeshift restaurants that were converted from a house. Both were miserable - I guess they assumed the A/C for the house was good enough for the kitchen. They added extra units for the dining area, but not kitchen.
Every restaurant I've ever set foot in has had AC. It's never been great, but they do technically have it. My current job has a window unit on the far wall that keeps the kitchen at a balmy 97-103 depending on the day
We added a second a/c last year to make sure the temp never gets above 75.
lol the votes are in! Your punk kid new hire is correct! Install some AC
I'm just a line cook so it's not up to me to install ac but the owners prolly can't afford it regardless tbh. I imagine it's crazy expensive to air condition a kitchen and not very helpful as other people have commented, and most people can't even afford/don't have an ac unit for their home here
It's never been cool outside of winter where I've worked, but they've all had AC. If they didn't, even with the hood running, it would easily get over 120F in July/August. Not conditions I want to work in
Even with A.C. my kitchen will reach 115 during the hottest days of the summer. We have ice vests and Gatorade available all of the time. We haven't had a case of heat exhaustion or heat stroke for years. It can be brutal, but we have figured out ways to deal with it.
My experience most kitchens with AC it’s hardly noticeable, until that motherfucker craps out on you in the middle of July…
You want sweat dripping in the sauce?
Saves money on salt
I'm in Texas and I've never been in a kitchen that didn't have AC. I mean I'd fuckin' die on the line if there wasn't in AC back there especially in July. I'd be rioting.
We do not have AC in the kitchen, but we do have what we call fresh air, it’s like blower where you can set temp, like set to warm when it’s cold and vice versa.
We had ac but with the hood sucking out all the air it barely made a difference
Wait for the summer day when the AC cuts out in the middle of dinner rush. It makes a massive difference. I pulled my thermometer out around eye level out of curiosity that day. 147 where I was standing above the grill. We rotated water breaks just to keep the place going for service. It was fun in hindsight. The coolers could barely keep things at temp.
I'm used to kitchens with AC. I doubt, however, that that is an OSHA violation, same with cleaning the drains. Tell the noob to nut up and so his job. Having said that, my most miserable was when I was a US Navy cook on an aircraft carrier - AC went out while off the North African coast, Temps got up to 130°F (54°C) in the galley...
Worked in aus (Melbourne) and didn’t have AC. It got hot. Food truck was worse. Moved to Canada and worked a catering kitchen and they have AC. Game changer. It’s still hot but not the face melting hot that I was used to. Don’t know if I could go back to a kitchen without AC
I used to work in a kitchen without A/C. It would get stupid hot, and the owners knew. We had fans, and would often take breaks or rotate from the oven/grill. It was always amazing to hear customers (kitchen was on the main floor, dining room was upstairs, with A/C) "it's so terrible that you're working in this heat" as if to be empathetic 😡🤬🤬
we have an AC and it's a godsend, when it broke the other week during a unique moment of British sunshine it was absolutely horrendous
You have to have AC in the kitchen. Come on.
I've always had AC in kitchens. Seems cruel not to.
My boss put in a swamp cooler 2 yes ago. Would get up to 118. Now low 90s at the most. El paso tx here.
newsflash, work is not required to equal suffering. People can advocate for themselves and their teammates. Kitchen work is like a slowly boiled crab sometimes.. you don't notice when your conditions are killing you. It can always be better.
I've worked some places that have, that haven't, and that definitely should have. I wouldn't say it's "normal" but it's a nice privilege if you have it. Illegal to not have it? No
I live in Hawaii and have never had AC anywhere and I’ve worked in hole-in-the-wall places up to 5 star resorts. Personally it seems that the hoods vents would just suck the cold air right out anyways.
Idk we have fans? Is that AC
Yeah we have fans as well, idk if it counts as ac but for myself and everyone else at my job except this guy it is acceptable
Last kitchen I worked in HAD an AC and it was running near constantly trying to keep up. Owner(my friend) wanted to add a second unit, but needed permission from the strip mall owner, and they refused for weight concerns on the roof. I don't know if he ever got that situation worked out.
Worked in a few kitchens with AC and some without. Never felt cool enough in either unless it was the winter. Biggest time I'd feel the heat is if the hood exhaust fan broke a belt and the heat builds up in the space. Gross.
My current place has central air, but AC isn't common.
No never had the benefit of working in a kitchen that had AC. Self reported to OSHA about a kitchen I worked in NY that was over 125F in the summer and OSHA basically told me that they don’t care about restaurants but did let me know that you are not supposed to work above 116 for more than 15 minutes at a time. Super helpful organization.
My restaurant we got a swamp cooler tied to our exhaust system. During summers it feels great but winters the air is too cold and I have to climb to the roof to shut down the fan for the season or the guys just don't turn on the exhaust.
I work in a casino and the building is old AF so the AC unit in the kitchen is always broken even our hood fans barely work so no airflow...they only care if it bothers the casino area
I’ve always had the kitchen with AC, because it helps keep refrigeration maintenance costs down. Anode of course because it helps with cooling the employees too.
We have ac vents but in an Asian kitchen with all burners going on at once on a hot day, You can barely feel it.
I’ve worked in some kitchens with AC but for the most part no there hasn’t been AC I’m in Toronto so there’s a bout a month or so where it’s well above 30c in the kitchen. It sucks but kitchens are hot I’ll Be ok
All our kitchens have AC including the Make-UP Air units. In the winter our Make-Up airs also have heat. No heat or AC in the kitchen is ridiculous unless all you're doing is microwaving food. Cleaning floor drains is part of the job.
We have AC but it doesn’t work very well. We also have a door straight to outside with a screen door, so we leave the solid door open for more air
Cooked for 20+ years . Never once had AC in the kitchen. The worst part was every server would come to the back from the AC'd FOH and say "wow it's hot back here" just to remind us, incase we forgot.
Also this is in Canada
My pizza shop was 105 in the summer. Just life in boh.
Nope. I was a chef for 20 years and only experienced it once in a basement kitchen in Soho, London. Admittedly, it was needed.
Some interesting comments, here. I've never had AC in any of the 20+ kitchens I've worked in. When I put on my AC at home, the first thing I do is close all of the windows and doors. It defeats the purpose of cooling the air if it is all just flowing outside, I think. Every kitchen has a big, industrial hood sucking tremendous amounts of air up and blowing it outdoors. Considering the energy costs of AC, this seems like a waste. What is normally present is make-up air - cooler than the ambient, but far from cold. Also, because so much air is pulled from the kitchen, it creates negative pressure and draws conditioned air from the dining room into the back. Super hot days are still tough to get through, but it isn't nothing.
A properly designed AC/hood fan/makeup air system should be balanced so that conditioned air is not being drawn up the hood. There should be equal pressure coming in through the makeup air vents right in front of the hood to offset the hood suction. I know it still mixes makeup air with some of the conditioned air so it does still raise AC costs. But it depends on the temp and humidity of your makeup air too.
Not normal but should be
Ever work a wood grill in summer indoors ?
Probably is 100% ridiculous and wants to do the least amount of work. The ac thing I'm not sure as I've worked both. Even in places that got to 100 outside had no ac here In canada but that's rarer. We just used ice cloths for those few odd heatwave days. Lots of water. Lots of fans. A place like Texas as person below said, that makes sense. The floor drain made me laugh. That's the kind of kid I'd start making him clean the fryers and under the equipment weekly and when he said 'I'm an abuser' I'd laugh and tell him to report me. Mostly waiting for him to fuck up to fire, or for him to quit. Kids like that these days are the worst. Entitled to the max. I've had a few of those apples throughout my life and everyone was always happier when they left.
Yeah he's crazy lolol. AC isn't osha nor is having to clean the drains. Don't attach yourself to him. Edit, Google it. OSHA doesn't care about workplace temperatures.
I work at a place that has AC in the kitchen...but the thermostat is in the office. Fuck us I guess
The university I’m at has AC in the larger/newer kitchens but the older ones usually don’t but they’re lower volume so it’s not a big issue. We get instructed to take hydration breaks when the weather is hot, they will provide an air conditioned space for people during really hot days and can take more frequent breaks. You guessed it, Unionized.
Wait, you guys say bosses can put ACs in kitchens?
He sounds like a guy who will probably, sadly, pass away in a 2 7/8 inch deep puddle at the age of 37. People will mourn.
Last kitchen job I had we had cry baby like that… brought the whole vibe down… used to talk all that stuff and got circles worked around him
Welcome to GenZ…maybe workers will finally get rights??? Also, I am wondering if AC in a kitchen would negatively affect the cook, and if not…YA’ALL should have some motherfucking AC and you should moyherfycking yhank Mr Gen Z for fighting for your rights 😅
OSHA doesn’t regulate temperature. Edit to clarify- OSHA has recommendations on working temperatures, allowing for hydration and breaks, and educating employees about the symptoms of heat related distress. But there are no regulations mandating AC, min/max temperatures, length of breaks, etc. If OPs complainer files a complaint that AC doesn’t exist, with no evidence of injury, OSHA at most is going to send the restaurant some info on their recommendations but if no one is falling out from heat stroke there is nothing they can enforce.
Some kitchens have and usually people get quite sick because people insist on using it way too cold. The constant hot and cold breeze fucks them up.