The motherboard for the conveyor belt at the dishwashing station in the Community Commons has been out of commission for over two weeks now, causing employees to shift roles and put in more hours to accommodate for the problem. Despite Sodexo submitting a work order the day the machine broke, facilities were unable to check on the issue until four days later and staff remains uncertain of how long it will take for the previous system to be reimplemented.
A simple problem like a broken conveyor belt seems like it would have a simple solution. Unfortunately, the process to fix it is more complex than it may seem, explained Claudia Bernal, the Sodexo Director of Operations for Dining Services.
While it remains unknown what caused it, the motherboard unexpectedly burnt out and the company that made it when the building was constructed had none in stock so “they had to completely make a new one and we’re waiting for it to be shipped out so at this point it’s out of our hands,” commented Bernal.
Anytime something goes wrong with Sodexo, they have to submit a work order to the Facilities and Maintenance team, who must assess the situation themselves. Then, they call an outside contractor who can further resolve the problem in similar situations. Because of the steps for problems like this to be resolved, it often takes much longer than staff would like.
“Anytime anything in the system goes down we fill out a work order, then DU has to figure out who they’ll send and often it’s two to three days before we even see anyone in to check it out,” said Bernal.
Despite the frustration, Sodexo staff has been understanding and promptly adjusted employees’ roles to keep operations running smoothly. “Facilities and maintenance is also understaffed, so it’s not as quick as we’d like it to be, but we understand that it’s because of staffing issues,” retorted Bernal.
This situation is characterized by uncertainty and poor communication, made clear by Bernal’s comments on when the issue will be resolved.
“The motherboard was built yesterday so hopefully they will overnight it and tomorrow they can start installations and hopefully it works,” she said.
Dishwashers have been put into an unprecedented position where they are constantly interacting with students, a duty that was likely not included within their job description and may be increasingly difficult for those staff members whose first language isn’t English. “They want to be dishwashers where nobody sees them but now putting them at the front gives them a bit of a struggle, but I think they’re getting used to it,” said Bernal.
Flexibility and collaboration are defining characteristics of dining hall staff, who often find themselves filling in for other positions and adjusting their duties to maintain operations amidst struggles like understaffing. Bernal explained that “As a company, we’re really good at working as a team. Even between Einsteins and resident dining, we all support each other. Whenever we have someone missing, there’s always collaboration.”
Although Bernal reports that DU doesn’t provide work environment check-ins to dining hall staff, or support of this nature, Bernal feels it would be unnecessary since Sodexo is so supportive and provides them with the resources they need. “We have support within Sodexo. HR checks in with staff pay and conditions. As a company, we do well with that so we don’t really need anything from DU besides the job.”
While they may not need administrative support, a simple thank you from students while they’re working makes all the difference to employees. Bernal reported that “Students have been really respectful. From the dish room just hearing someone say thank you from the other side is uplifting for them and me.”
Bernal also mentioned that higher-up staff recognizing employees’ hard work and acknowledging it motivates workers to keep up their enthusiasm and resilience in circumstances like this one. “The building manager went and got all the dishwashers a Starbucks drink yesterday and I know that seems small but it’s the thought behind it that counts,” said Bernal.
Greetings, words of affirmation, and ‘thank yous’ from students are very important to employees, but additional monetary compensation for their additional duties and increased hours is also in order. Utility workers will be receiving a bonus for this pay period as compensation for their extra work and as recognition of their flexibility and cooperation in the difficult situation.
