Hog’s has taken another step towards boosting wellbeing across the franchise network and signed up to FairKitchens, a movement to create positive and supportive cultures in restaurant kitchens.
The aim of this global initiative is to improve kitchen workers’ lives by ensuring communication, teamwork and time for individuals are part of the business set-up.
Hog’s FairKitchens initiative
FairKitchens references research by Unilever Food Solutions revealing 74 per cent of chefs are sleep deprived to the point of exhaustion and 63 per cent of chefs feel depressed.
CEO Ross Worth wrote in a LinkedIn post “We’ve introduced several initiatives over the years to increase wellbeing in our organisation. We’re committed to making Hog’s an incredible place to work with abundant opportunities, which is why our organisation has signed on to FairKitchens.
“I sat down with Hog’s head corporate chef John Alexander to discuss his experiences in the industry and what it will take to make Australian chefs thrive. When we first heard about FairKitchens, it was an easy decision for Hog’s to adopt the initiative into our organisation.
“Chef John and the Hog’s team already practice many of the FairKitchens guidelines, so reaffirming our restaurant to these values was a commitment we could confidently make. ”
Championing positive work environments
Worth points out that Alexander throughout his career has championed fair practices and better work environments in restaurants.
“Our special culture at Hog’s dictates that our chefs and managers across the franchise network are committed to providing positive, growth-focused environments,” said Worth.
The FairKitchens movement provides a Code and online training, tips and guidelines on implementing a better kitchen culture.
This latest initiative falls in line with Hog’s long-term commitment to mental health. In 2018 the popular restaurant franchise raised almost $40,000 for A Chance for Change, an organisation aiming to dismantle the social stigmas around men’s emotions mental health.