A Knowledge @ Wharton article addresses taking perks away from employees.
The current economic slump could trigger another round of 'de-perking'. "Boards were pushing back on some of these perks because they thought they didn't look good," says Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli. "But I think that passed, and now the issue is whether these practices are important in recruiting and retaining people. If the economy softens, there will be push back again. We did see that when the economy softened in 2001."
The article cautions against taking perks away from employees. Restaurateurs are notorious for wanting to reduce the employee meal allowance during lean times. How you present the situation will affect the response from your staff.
The article dealt with employees, however restaurants are also taking perks away from customers in a misguided effort to ride out the economic storm. Be very careful, customers have even less appreciation for de-perking.
