For those of you with live in staff, what is your policy on allowing them to have their friends in the hostel public areas and dorms?
We allow our staff one guest who must be signed in and ID left at the desk. They are supposed to have them out of their room by 10 pm (no sleepovers without permission) and must be with them at all times.
We recently banned all staff guests for one month at a hostel when staff did not follow the sign in procedure and they are whining about this punishment. I was wondering what other hostels are doing about this? Is the general policy that they cannot have any friends visit them in the hostel, is there some allowance or are we being grumpy?
15 years
we dont really have a problem with staff sneaking people in and given that most of my staff have their own rooms, i consider that their space. they can have their privacy - i encourage them to bring friends to the bar.
guests however... well, we make people sign in and leave photo ID if theyre not staying over - and out by 1am (thats when our bar is offically open to the public until) occasionally you get a few coming down the next morning. we usually get them to pay.
15 years
One of my live-in employees asked me if he could bring special friends back home at night. While he was happy to take his pick of the beautiful young ladies who were already guests of the hostel and allowed to be there, he didn't want to come across as a lecherous sexual predator if he hit on the guests. (that's how he presented it to me anyway)
I let him bring them back to his room. At least his guests were being supervised by a mamber of staff.
15 years
One of my live-in employees asked me if he could bring special friends back home at night. While he was happy to take his pick of the beautiful young ladies who were already guests of the hostel and allowed to be there, he didn't want to come across as a lecherous sexual predator if he hit on the guests. (that's how he presented it to me anyway)
I let him bring them back to his room. At least his guests were being supervised by a mamber of staff.
Hmm, I was wondering about this. I've recently been to a hostel where it seemed like everyone on staff was sleeping around with one guest or another - made the place feel a bit sleazy. It was a hostel owned by a young man and his crew of young free spirits. I understand both parties are consenting adults but still I wonder if there shouldn't be rules, especially since it's typically frowned upon for guests to have sex in hostels. For the staffers (including managers and owners) to be able to do it with the guests just because they have the luxury of a private space on the premises doesn't seem fair. Or does it?
Also, I'd imagine it'd get ugly if things went bad between the staffer and the guest unless he/she were leaving the next morning. ;)
15 years
Hmm, I was wondering about this. I've recently been to a hostel where it seemed like everyone on staff was sleeping around with one guest or another - made the place feel a bit sleazy. It was a hostel owned by a young man and his crew of young free spirits. I understand both parties are consenting adults but still I wonder if there shouldn't be rules, especially since it's typically frowned upon for guests to have sex in hostels. For the staffers (including managers and owners) to be able to do it with the guests just because they have the luxury of a private space on the premises doesn't seem fair. Or does it?
Ultimately, if people want to have sex in the hostel they're going to do it, despite any frowning. I doubt that anyone will pick the staffer to have sex with over another backpacker simply because they have a private room (although maybe I'm wrong). Most people see the bathroom as their private sex chamber anyway.
Also, I'd imagine it'd get ugly if things went bad between the staffer and the guest unless he/she were leaving the next morning. ;)
I think you're right about that!
15 years
I doubt that anyone will pick the staffer to have sex with over another backpacker simply because they have a private room (although maybe I'm wrong).
Yeah, this made me laugh a bit, too.
Honestly, I think rules about bringing guests back or whatever sounds a bit draconian to me. You have to allow your staff to have lives of their own-- I've seen hostels where owners become very controlling of the live in staff, implementing policies like this and not respecting their off time... it all adds up to turnover in my opinion. And assuming one of my employees goes out and meets someone, then brings them back, I cringe at the idea of making that person leave an ID at the desk or something. Probably not helping my employee's cause there. :)
As far as staff fraternizing with guests, first off, good luck stopping that. If you have a young staff, this is just inevitable, and it would be almost cruel to try and create some policy about it. The only thing I try to keep an eye out for is making sure no member of the staff is being overbearing in any way or making a guest uncomfortable. As long as I don't see that, they're entitled to some privacy and a life of their own.
15 years
I doubt that anyone will pick the staffer to have sex with over another backpacker simply because they have a private room (although maybe I'm wrong).
being a bartender in a hostel is... well, getting laid becomes like shooting fish in a barrel.
people work in hostels because its a social atmosphere. pulling is part of that. :D
15 years
being a bartender in a hostel is... well, getting laid becomes like shooting fish in a barrel.
I actually never heard of that saying before so I looked it up. Too funny. LOL. :D
Definition: If something is like shooting fish in a barrel, it is so easy that success is guaranteed.
15 years
We had to establish some general rules in our hostels because of certain people who got lucky on a daily basis. All our staff live in dorms...so having one guy or girl who is rocking the rafters night after night annoys the rest of the people who want to sleep. So we have a policy of no guests in the dorm after 10 pm. We don't enforce it except when other staff complain...so it's a CYA (cover your ass) rule. We tell everyone to try to resolve issues among themselves like adults, but when you have that one person who doesn't give a damn, this rule allows us to be fair to everyone else.
We also have a unofficial 'policy' that if a dorm or private room is still open at midnight then the staff can use those rooms for 'privacy' as long as they promise to clean it up in the morning. when people don't clean the room up (change sheets, etc), then they lose the privilege. I think this is pretty fair.
They also have keys to some of the 'employees only' areas of the hostel...so i'm sure the linen room sees a lot of action. :D
As for staff mixing it up with guests...well, if they know their stuff then it's good for ratings!
15 years
We also have a unofficial 'policy' that if a dorm or private room is still open at midnight then the staff can use those rooms for 'privacy' as long as they promise to clean it up in the morning. when people don't clean the room up (change sheets, etc), then they lose the privilege. I think this is pretty fair.
i've always encouraged that policy too :p
As for staff mixing it up with guests...well, if they know their stuff then it's good for ratings!
that could result in some pretty interesting reviews....
13 years
I managed a hostel that was (is) a mildly party central of sorts, but that had a strict policy on staff. It affected and let them down a lot. Staffers could be fired it caught sneaking people in or even sleeping with guests or fellow staff within the premises of the hostel.
Had been myself a live-in, I completely changed things there on my management. I called all staffers (large hostel, we had 6-9 live-in's sharing 3 small dorms), and had an open conversation about the whole issue.
We implemented the aforementioned policy of letting them use empty rooms as private ones until next morning (provided they cleaned after themselves), and I was honest with them that we all knew what happens with the combination of young people, together, away from home with open minds. So I completely reversed the previous policy and let them live their lives.
Especially in relate to young staff living in and earning a small wage in exchange for accommodation and meals, I think it is just natural people will hook up. It is unavoidable, almost. If a manager becomes a school hall monitor-of-sorts, staff will behave like middleschoolers trying to get around draconian rules and so. Sooner or later you will get them in action, then you either enforce an unpopular policy (lower morale) or turn a blind eye (lower credibility on management). I go even further to say that a joyful and busy sex life is, for many, a big plus of the "live-in" positions they get. So I gave my staff a lot of freedom (I was just 3 years older then their average age anyway).
Did it get a bit "sleazy"? Yes, sometimes. There is no way people can conceal their escapades so we all knew when a staff was sleeping with other. The staff knew of each other's luck (of lack thereof), but even that helped to attracted cool staff replacements when they had left for the end of their work holiday programs or so.
In regard of non-guest friends, I also always encouraged the staff to bring them to the bar, which was nice because guests themselves liked to mingle with people who were not travelling. If they were so stay the night, the rule was like "leave no traces", as to avoid somebody's girlfriend or boyfriend from the city to become a "permanent" non-paying guest. But I never had problem with that, I knew beforehand live-in staff are not usually keen on long-term commitments :D
Now about hitting on staff: it happens, you can either ignore, try to curtail the practice or accommodate. I chose the last path while I was manager. A hostel like ours, with 95% guests below age 27 and with a reputation for party, is a natural place for such interactions. I talked openly (to the amusement of some of the guys who didn't think I knew how it works;) about the deal, and that I would not frown upon their hitting on girls and guys as long as they: (1) kept doing their jobs; (2) never made a guest uncomfortable.
For some members of staff nothing changed, some decided to enjoy the new freedom being more proactive and responsive of guests approaches. Indeed, as we usually spoken there, nobody needed to hit on unwitting guests, there was always enough flirting initiated by the guests themselves to allow staff to pick.
Our "open and responsible" policy brought just a few incidents. One guy was ultimately dismissed because he didn't respect the line and would make some guests a bit uneasy. Other girl decided to left because she stopped sleeping with another guy with the staff and couldn't get along with the crew anymore after the guy started sleeping with another newly arrived girl to work for the summer.
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