Eateries woefully short despite higher pay incentive
JOHOR BARU: For many restaurants here, it’s that time of the year when their wish for more part-timers often do not come true.
With Chinese New Year just weeks away, restaurant owner Phua Kai Hoo, who runs five eateries in Johor Baru and Kulai, said he is only able to hire about half the number of part-timers needed.
“This is a problem we face every year. It is not easy to find Malaysians willing to take up such jobs (such as waiters). This year, I have employed about 30 part-time workers.
“However, to cope with the Chinese New Year demand, I need at least 50 workers.
“We have noticed more senior citizens going out to work these days, which is a good thing for us as it helps reduce our worker shortage,” he said.
Other than the Chinese New Year, Phua said he would also recruit part-timers for peak periods such as weekends.
As for Lennox Cheok, who runs two eateries in Johor Baru, he has opted not to hire part-time helpers to avoid the headache of finding such workers.
“It is not that we do not want to get part-time workers. We are happy to employ them as they help ease our workload. But it is very hard to find them.
“We cannot rely on hiring extra workers to handle the rush,” he said.
Cheok added that he currently has about 60 workers for his two restaurants.
Johor Cooks Association president John Ang said eatery owners are offering salaries twice the normal rate in a bid to attract part-time workers.
“Despite the higher rates, it is still difficult for restaurants to get extra workers for Chinese New Year or any other festive season,” he said.
“This is a problem we have been facing for a long time, and it seems to have worsened in recent years.”
