Fresh reports from employees at upscale bakery and restaurant chain Artcaffé continue to emerge across multiple branches, reinforcing earlier staff statements pointing to recurring issues tied to management conduct, workload pressure, internal discipline structures and workplace welfare conditions within the chain.
The latest material, drawn from different outlets and former staff, shows that the situation is not confined to a single location but appears across several branches where employees describe similar working conditions over time.
Earlier material circulating from within the chain described deductions of off days and leave linked to transport disruptions outside staff control, extended shift rotations with minimal recovery time between duties, and late-night transport arrangements that leave employees dropped along highways during early morning hours with limited safe travel options.
Other workers previously described a work environment where minor operational errors lead to immediate financial deductions or formal warnings, while internal complaint channels are viewed by some staff as offering limited resolution, with outcomes often aligned with supervisory decisions.
Former staff have also described management conduct they say relies on intimidation, selective treatment of workers, and strict disciplinary responses, with some stating that leave requests are denied even during urgent personal situations and job termination can occur abruptly.
One former employee from a major branch described prolonged workplace pressure tied to supervisory conduct, saying the strain affected physical health during pregnancy, while other staff describe a setting where errors in the ordering system lead directly to salary deductions.
Separate reports from other branches point to claims of misuse of food items and inconsistencies in stock handling, with workers saying stock differences are often transferred to staff responsibility instead of internal review processes.
The latest material from staff provides a detailed description of how order handling and billing processes operate across branches, with employees saying pressure begins at the point of sale and continues through cancellations, voids and upselling targets during shifts.
Workers describe a situation where customer orders are entered into the system, after which cancellations or changes are not always matched with corresponding reversals. Staff say this leaves them exposed to financial deductions for items that were never prepared or served.
They state that upselling targets remain active throughout shifts, with pressure placed on employees to push additional items regardless of customer uptake. Where items are not produced or are later cancelled, staff say they are still required to account for them under internal controls, creating financial exposure for frontline workers.
The material also describes different treatment between staff and management when handling food items. Workers say supervisors and branch managers process meals as compliments and later void them, while junior staff remain responsible for items processed under their login credentials.
Additional claims describe irregular handling of cash transactions and voids, with staff stating that portions of paid bills are reversed in ways that do not reflect customer activity, creating room for internal benefit while leaving staff with unresolved discrepancies.
Employees further describe a workplace environment where correction is often delivered through public criticism during service hours, with staff feeling undermined in front of customers while being held to strict internal accountability once shifts end.
The submission also reflects a workplace culture described by staff as heavily pressured, where reminders about job scarcity are used in daily interactions, reinforcing compliance within demanding service conditions.
"Hello Cyprian. Kindly hide my identity. So I have decided to kuongea initoke now that someone decided to lead and we follow. So the number one issue is that Artcaffe management does not know how to treat their staff well. Yaani, you will serve a customer, then after you post everything to the system, a guest may cancel the order due to a change of mind, maybe they did not like it, or some even walk out and you cannot force them back. We are forced to upsell and most of the time the items are not even produced or served, and if you do not upsell, you end up paying for it. They do not void, so we end up paying for something we have never even tasted. Mind you, if a manager or supervisor wants to eat something, they will force you to post it, then they simply say it is a compliment and void it. They also carry food home after forcing you to post it, but theirs is always voided. Another issue is that they even void staff cash bills to benefit themselves. For example, a bill may be KSh 7,000, they will void KSh 1,500 and keep it. This is the main reason they refuse to void staff losses, forcing employees to pay because the voids may be too many. In front of guests they are very humble, but when they come to staff they make you feel small and powerless. They also constantly remind us that many people are desperate for jobs, so we should be grateful to be employed."