They Left The Oven On...

Business By jewelsq Updated 17 Jan 2011 , 11:28pm by cakenovice2010

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jewelsq Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 3:16pm
post #1 of 19

My employees left one side of my 6 burner/2-sided oven on. This is the 2nd time. They apologized for the "inconvenience". They are not quite getting it.

Does someone have an idea of the gas units it takes to run the oven per hour?

I'd like to figure out the cost so they can understand that this is more than an "inconvenience".

Ugh.

18 replies
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cakesdivine Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 3:31pm
post #2 of 19

Start telling them you will doc their pay say $10-$15 for each occurance. That is how you make them understand the importance. Not only the cost involved for the gas usage and wear & tear on the equipment, BUT it could also cause your whole bakery to burn down. You don't want it to come to that to get them to see the importance of shutting off all cooking equipment at closing.

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indydebi Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 3:51pm
post #3 of 19

as someone who had to PAY those gas rates, I'm sitting here with my chin on the floor. As someone who had a fire at her shop within weeks of opening (not anything I did, it was faulty wiring on the outside of the building, but stilll ......) AND my parents had two house fires by the time I was 14 years old (ironically, both were landlord error), so fire risk is something I take DAMN serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would be in total B*TCH mode and my speech would be .....

"It's happened once. It's happened twice. It will NOT happen a third time or I will be looking for a whole new staff. And since I wont' be able to pinpoint which of you DIDN'T turn it off, ALL of you will be fired. That makes it the responsibility of ALL of you to make sure it's off. Fire safety is not to be taken lightly around here. Do I make myself perfectly clear on this!"

The cost is almost immaterial to me. Its the fire hazard that will totally pi$$ me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draw the line in the sand, darlin'. Now. icon_evil.gif

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MissLisa Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 3:57pm
post #4 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

as someone who had to PAY those gas rates, I'm sitting here with my chin on the floor. As someone who had a fire at her shop within weeks of opening (not anything I did, it was faulty wiring on the outside of the building, but stilll ......) AND my parents had two house fires by the time I was 14 years old (ironically, both were landlord error), so fire risk is something I take DAMN serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would be in total B*TCH mode and my speech would be .....

"It's happened once. It's happened twice. It will NOT happen a third time or I will be looking for a whole new staff. And since I wont' be able to pinpoint which of you DIDN'T turn it off, ALL of you will be fired. That makes it the responsibility of ALL of you to make sure it's off. Fire safety is not to be taken lightly around here. Do I make myself perfectly clear on this!"

The cost is almost immaterial to me. Its the fire hazard that will totally pi$$ me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draw the line in the sand, darlin'. Now. icon_evil.gif




I totally agree with Debi........Draw the line and STICK TO IT. If it's left on again, EVERYONE gets fired. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, and let's hope it's not your busiest week of the year.

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KHalstead Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 4:13pm
post #5 of 19

If you look up the type of oven you have online, you should be able to get a list of specs for it.....including how much gas it uses to operate per minute. Then you can get your gas bill and figure out how much you pay for gas and come up with a decent estimate of the amount of money.


Here is a good explanation

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_energy_does_an_oven_use

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Melvira Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 4:32pm
post #6 of 19

I agree this is NOTHING about the price of gas! (Well, yes, on a lower level of concern it is, but you know what I mean!!)

If their carelessness caused the building to burn down, they'd be more than out a job. You'd be out your livlihood... and is it connected to other buildings? Yeesh!!! icon_eek.gif

2 years ago I was looking at this rather perfect building in the neighboring slightly larger town... I could see me in there, making cakes, meeting with brides, in my head I was floating across the floor like an angel of happiness, swathed in buttercream light... (snork! Yah, I'm being dramatic!) a few days later the whole strip of buildings burnt down. Ok God, I get it. I was not meant to have a bakery there. UNDERSTOOD!

The fact that this 'inconvenience' has happened twice with NO fire is a head's up. Depending on the employee... whether they are otherwise fantastic, they might not get a third chance to burn down my life. I can assure you I'd be making sure my insurance was paid though if you keep them around. icon_lol.gif

By the way, I don't mean to make light of your possible tragedy... if anything happened to your place, I'd be devastated for you!!!

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indydebi Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 4:48pm
post #7 of 19

Melvira, same thing happened to me, once. First husband and I were looking at this house to buy, that was SLIGHTLY above our price range, but it had a beauty shop attached and of course I was envisioning this cute little cakery and supply shop. We had to wait to sell our existing house first, and a few weeks later, that house with the beauty shop caught fire due to faulty wiring in the attic, meaning it would have burned down no matter who owned it at the time!

I'm a great believer in that "things happen for a reason" and whatever the reason, that house would not have been right for me.

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Melvira Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 5:02pm
post #8 of 19

Absolutely Debi. Sometimes we don't like the messenger, but the message is one of great importance!! thumbs_up.gif

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jennifer22780 Posted 6 Jan 2011 , 9:06pm
post #9 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

as someone who had to PAY those gas rates, I'm sitting here with my chin on the floor. As someone who had a fire at her shop within weeks of opening (not anything I did, it was faulty wiring on the outside of the building, but stilll ......) AND my parents had two house fires by the time I was 14 years old (ironically, both were landlord error), so fire risk is something I take DAMN serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would be in total B*TCH mode and my speech would be .....

"It's happened once. It's happened twice. It will NOT happen a third time or I will be looking for a whole new staff. And since I wont' be able to pinpoint which of you DIDN'T turn it off, ALL of you will be fired. That makes it the responsibility of ALL of you to make sure it's off. Fire safety is not to be taken lightly around here. Do I make myself perfectly clear on this!"

The cost is almost immaterial to me. Its the fire hazard that will totally pi$$ me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draw the line in the sand, darlin'. Now. icon_evil.gif





i totally agree too.... my speech would be something right along those lines!!!!!

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Ruth0209 Posted 7 Jan 2011 , 4:13am
post #10 of 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

as someone who had to PAY those gas rates, I'm sitting here with my chin on the floor. As someone who had a fire at her shop within weeks of opening (not anything I did, it was faulty wiring on the outside of the building, but stilll ......) AND my parents had two house fires by the time I was 14 years old (ironically, both were landlord error), so fire risk is something I take DAMN serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would be in total B*TCH mode and my speech would be .....

"It's happened once. It's happened twice. It will NOT happen a third time or I will be looking for a whole new staff. And since I wont' be able to pinpoint which of you DIDN'T turn it off, ALL of you will be fired. That makes it the responsibility of ALL of you to make sure it's off. Fire safety is not to be taken lightly around here. Do I make myself perfectly clear on this!"

The cost is almost immaterial to me. Its the fire hazard that will totally pi$$ me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draw the line in the sand, darlin'. Now. icon_evil.gif




Like she said. And BTW, check with an employment attorney before you consider docking pay. In a lot of states that's illegal to do that unless employees have signed an agreement when they were hired that you could do it. It's not worth a wage claim. Just let them know they'll be fired if it happens again and then stand by your word. That's just no laughing matter.

You might want to create a closing checklist for the facility that employees have to complete every night when they close up the place. It's a good idea to make sure they do everything they're supposed to, such as checking locks, turning off lights, cleaning certain items, etc.

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madgeowens Posted 7 Jan 2011 , 4:42am
post #11 of 19

Absolutely.....they could have burned the place down........I would already be in biyotch mode!!!!

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scp1127 Posted 7 Jan 2011 , 5:04am
post #12 of 19

Ruth, I was getting ready to say the same thing. When I was younger, we won a class action law suit for that. The attorney represented us for a percentage. It was a small amount of money, but each state has a per day penalty for withholding wages. It took two years to settle. We got $6000.00 each (5 of us) after the attorney was paid.

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jewelsq Posted 7 Jan 2011 , 4:24pm
post #13 of 19

Thank you for your comments and advice.
And I appreciate the advice about not docking pay (I was ready to dock immediately and fire next time.).

I will have to take the hard stance. As heartbreaking as it would be, I really do have to draw a line and stick to it.

Again, thank you!! I'll let you know how it turns out. (End of next week is when I see them again.)

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jewelsq Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 1:35pm
post #14 of 19

Just an update: I wrote up a warning explaining the dangers surrounding this issue (fire safety and the destruction of my family, home, business being the chief concern) and had everyone sign it. I gave them a copy. They were deferential and it seems like they understood my seriousness.

They empowered themselves by posting neon signs that say, "Turn off oven" and posted the signs in several conspicuous places.

I am optimistic that this was a good outcome. Thanks again!

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loriemoms Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 2:58pm
post #15 of 19

I agree completely, post a closing list. I have a list in the front of what has to be done before you leave for the day, a list in the decorating area (I got tired of throwing away buckets of fondant because nobody would put the lids back on!) and a list in the baking area (my biggest problem was they would leave the walk in light on, the hood fan on, and the water dripping...nothing as serious as leaving the oven on, but it still cost money!)

I tell them that everyone is responsible for the list and that results of not dong it will just be you loosing your job. Pretty simple.

good luck! And yes, i know you want to be friends with them, but you are the boss!!!

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sillywabbitz Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 3:18pm
post #16 of 19

My sister use to do this in the house we shared. Then I hung up a big sign on the back door 'is the oven off?'. Never happened again. I'm glad they took your discussion seriously and took it upon themselves to post the signs. Sometimes it's just those little reminders that make all the difference.

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loriemoms Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 7:38pm
post #17 of 19

A little off subject, but a friend of mine used to worry if she left the iron plugged in and the curling iron plugged in and things like that when she went on trips. her DH got smart and put them all in the trunk of the car to make sure she could see for herself that they were unplugged. haha

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Tclanton Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 8:23pm
post #18 of 19

You might could also post a "closing" list and have someone assigned nightly to go over this list(and sign off on it), therefore making them responsible in case something goes wrong. Not sure if this would fit into a routine for you as I do not know your particular profile.

I think I have OCD most days. Every morning before I leave for work (as the truck idles in the driveway) - I do a walk through within my home. Lights off, ceiling fans off, flat irons unplugged, main door locked, tv and cable box off, stove top and oven off, all check - out the door I go. And the bad thing is if I opps and forget - I will turn around (most days) and go back to check. Sounds extreme, but I do know a couple people that are worse than me!!!

Much luck to you and I hope that you do not have this issue again in the future.

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cakenovice2010 Posted 17 Jan 2011 , 11:28pm
post #19 of 19

Wow I would be furious as well. I agree with the firing if it happens again and letting employees know that will be the result no matter what.

Although it would suck to let them go, having your livelihood burn to the ground without insurance coverage would suck more. I lost my home to a fire when I was a young single Mum, I rented and it was just a fluke wiring issue. We did not have insurance and if it had not have been for the amazing firemen who carried out the majority of our belongings we would have lost absolutely everything. The insurance company was a nightmare for the owner to deal with and it took her two years to get the money and build her house back again. And this wasn't anyones fault even. I can't imagine the ramifications of insurance when it's caused by an employee error.

Don't feel bad about scolding them or let them make you feel like you are over reacting, I think what Debi stated is the perfect wording to get the point across!

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