The COVID-19 pandemic hit businesses hard and many of them experienced labor shortages, including restaurants. If you suspect you were unfairly let go during this time, gathering witnesses to prove wrongful termination claims can strengthen your case.
However, Papacita’s of Tyler believes they are on the path to overcome labor shortages.
Papacita’s general manager Rodney Harris said there was a time where they had to close portions of the restaurant because they were understaffed.
“It seemed like forever. From one day to the next, someone’s calling in. And then when we finally get people staffed up, somebody gets sick with COVID so we got to quarantine them,” Harris said.
Now, things are looking up for Papacita’s along with businesses across the country. The US Department of Labor reports employers added 531,000 jobs in October.
“The safety factor for many people has gotten better. A lot more people are looking for work,” area operations manager at Workforce Solutions East Texas Stephen Lynch said. Employers also need to provide a safe working environment for their employees. Those who got injured in a work accident should consider seeking legal assistance from a workplace injury law firm.
Lynch said hourly wages are expected to continue to rise, “And that’s because of a demand for employees are competing for workers and they had to raise their wages to be competitive.”
“We were really hurting three or four months ago. Now, we’re just a few more pieces away,” Harris said. He said they have staff positions filled, but they are still down their normal numbers to have back ups if someone calls in sick.