5 things: Health system sues to change meal break rules

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

Major Northwest healthcare system Legacy Health has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Portland to overturn Oregon’s long-established rules spelling out when an employer must provide meal breaks. At issue: rules based on eight-hour shifts that in today’s workplace, with nurses working 12-hour shifts, the health system contends would be too costly because they require more than one meal break. The suit caps years of dispute with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries, which last December threatened Legacy with $8.7 million in fines for failing to follow the detailed meals rules as well as rest period rules in 5,766 instances at four of its hospitals in 2016 and 2017. That proposed fine is pending.

Read more: Legacy Health Battles Oregon To Overturn Meal Break Rules

In response to student and parent complaints that a new meal plan system implemented by the University of Arizona (UAZ) this year will leave many students with significant unused meal plan funds that were to expire at the end of the current academic year, the school announced a one-time extension. "We are listening to our students and parent community and recognize this change might cause confusion, particularly in the first year of adopted change of this non rollover policy," UAZ said in a statement responding to the concerns. "We value our students and community and will be implementing a one-time waiver to the expiration date on all Fall 2021/Spring 2022 student’s meal plan funds. The original expiration of funds deadline was May 14, 2022. We are changing this expiration date on funds to December 15, 2022. This adjustment will allow students to continue to utilize any meal plan balance funds throughout the summer and Fall 2022 semester."

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Read more: Parents are upset about meal plan changes at UArizona

New York City offices are adapting amenities developed by West Coast high-tech firms to lure employees back to offices, with food and beverage services among the most prominent. For instance, real estate brokerage Saville revamped its Park Ave. space with features like water stations, a cafeteria with cold brew on tap and high-end espresso machines and a “happy room” with cold brew, Nespresso, Bevi bottle-less water dispenser, snack bar and other beverages that Vice Chairman Matthew Barlow said was akin to a “first-class business lounge.” Meanwhile, architecture firm Spectorgroup is relocating to a new office on 200 Madison Ave. that will have a pantry with touchless features and cold brew on tap as well as food available all the time, a beer cart once a week for everyone “to shoot the breeze” and a twice-weekly free lunch on work-optional days. “Given that everyone is competing for talent, especially tech-savvy talent, all industries in the area need to be creating workplaces that use technology to better the employee experience, not to mention their collective success,” offers Johnathan Sandler, a principal at office design firm Gensler.

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Read more: NYC offices are getting San Fran-style perks to lure reluctant workers back

Hundreds of culinary students from around the country are coming to Louisville to work foodservice for concessions operator Levy at the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Some of those students are cooking in makeshift kitchens, set up under large white tents in Churchill Downs’ parking lot, while others are working in the dining areas, concessions and the infield under the direction of Levy regional Chef Sam Carlson, who is helping them understand the kind of preparation that goes into an event of this scale. “Just the volume is, like, intense,” said Tyikea Mclean, a student at SUNY Schenectady County Community College in upstate New York who is back for her second time at the Derby. “It’s a different type of vibe, I would say. Because you’re just mass producing a bunch of food for a bunch of people.”

Read more: The Kentucky Derby is a lesson in nimbleness and logistics for hundreds of culinary students

Elior North America's Cura Hospitality unit has named former Aramark district manager Gary Stitzel its new vice president of operations to oversee the company’s East Coast territory. It also promoted 30-year veteran Kimmi Campagna to senior director of national partnership growth and engagement, and Jon Norris—currently a district manager overseeing 16 senior living communities and acute care facilities for the company—to client partnership director. It also welcomed Paul Schick as its new business development director. A registered dietitian with more than 30 years of experience in all facets of healthcare foodservice in senior and acute care spaces, Schick has held clinical, food service operations, management and retail roles.

Bonus: FM On Demand with Tara Fitzpatrick: BU Dining comes out swinging in fight against food waste

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]