Big changes usually don’t happen suddenly or by accident. What took place last week had been clear and obvious for a long time, but the time to act only came now. Within one week, spaced out by just a day or two, three Fenster employees were let go. That’s not a small number, considering that at this moment Fenster employs only nine people.
The team looks like this: me, the director, three full-time baristas, one part-time barista, two people responsible for cleaning equipment, and one person handling the cleaning of the space itself. On top of that, we were just in the process of hiring another full-time barista. And I, quite soon, will be stepping away from “regular” day-to-day work at the Vienna Fenster.
So given the size of our team, letting three people go is significant. Two of them were full-time baristas—trained, experienced, but no longer part of us.
Why? It was mutual. That’s how Fenster works, just like many other companies. If someone doesn’t fit Fenster for any number of reasons, they eventually feel it themselves and leave. That’s what happened this time. It’s part of the rhythm.
Of course, we had certain questions about the quality of their work, but at Fenster we always give people the chance to fix themselves, to fix their approach, to find their place here. We do this endlessly, because we believe everyone can find their own path to self-realization within the framework of Fenster. But sooner or later, either we get tired, or the employee does.
You can point out the same problem a hundred times, but on the 101st, one side will say: enough, this just doesn’t work anymore. That’s exactly what happened here. We asked directly whether they thought the number of chances had already gone far beyond any reasonable expectation, and they agreed. Some said it aloud, others answered with their actions.
It’s a great thing when people at Fenster feel positivity and satisfaction in their work. And it’s really sad when people just serve their time here without any spark or enthusiasm. It’s visible, it’s felt, and sometimes it needs to be formalized as a dismissal.
Fenster, of course, is not just a café—and that makes it harder compared to “regular” jobs. We make a lot of coffee. Sometimes a lot of coffee. Not everyone can handle it. On top of that, we start new employees at the “normal” minimum wage, and we’re ready to pay bonuses for diligent, consistent work—but not everyone earns those bonuses. Some want everything right away without doing much for it. Luckily, there are those who form the foundation of Fenster, who build it every single day, who are loyal team members and, I hope, enjoy their time here. Just like I do.
Either way, I wish every former Fenster employee success in finding themselves and in finding work that brings them not just money, but also joy. It sounds cliché, but it’s true.
Meanwhile, we’re adapting our workflows to the new conditions and the new time. We’re looking for new people. It’s a long and difficult process, but without it—things don’t work.
By the way, another interesting topic is Ukrainians at Fenster. I’ll write about that another time.
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