Food Service Worker

Class Specifications – C.15
Principal Food Service Worker – 5650
Senior Food Service Worker – 5651
Food Service Worker – 5652

January, 1975

Series Concept

Food Service Workers perform duties related to food preparation, service and/ or general maintenance in a kitchen or dining area of a campus hospital, residence hall, restaurant or cafeteria; and perform other related duties as required.

Incumbents typically perform unskilled or semi-skilled tasks; peel, slice, seed, core and dice vegetables or fruits by hand or using such mechanical equipment as automatic peelers, slicers and dicers; set up tray line by arranging food and/or dessert, pouring salad dressing, filling creamers, dishing condiments, cutting butter, arranging rolls and pastry, preparing coffee and/or tea; wash and stack dishes; clean and scrub pots and pans; clean conveyers, racks and set up trays; sweep and mop floors in a kitchen or dining area; may deliver trays to patients in a hospital; and may serve customers in a cafeteria or restaurant. Incumbents may serve as work leaders for groups of Food Service Workers in the performance of food preparation, serving and/or general maintenance functions.

Classes in the Food Service Worker series are distinguished from classes in the Food Service Supervisor series in that incumbents perform unskilled or semi-skilled duties in a kitchen or dining area typically without supervisory responsibility. The series consists of three levels. Food Service Worker is the entry level; Senior Food Service Worker is the operational level; and Principal Food Service Worker is the leading operational level.

Class Concepts

Principal Food Service Worker

Under supervision, incumbents serve as work leaders for a group of approximately five or more Food Service Workers and perform semi-skilled food preparation, serving and general maintenance duties as required in a kitchen or dining area. Incumbents may supervise a group of Food Service Workers in the performance of routine unskilled food preparation, serving and general maintenance duties in a kitchen or dining area; and may independently prepare household size modified diet items in a metabolic or diet kitchen or a large hospital department.

Principal Food Service Worker differs from the Assistant Cook and the Assistant Baker classes in that incumbents typically serve as work leaders in the performance of general food preparation, serving and maintenance duties. It is distinguished from classes in the Food Service Supervisor series by the lesser degree and/or limited nature of the supervisory responsibility.

Typical Level Examples

Incumbents serve as work leaders and may assist in the training of Food Service Workers performing as cafeteria line, dining room, dishmachine, pot and pan machine or general maintenance attendants.

Incumbents serve as counter attendants in a cafeteria or restaurant typically with responsibility for correct handling of cash transactions and maintaining satisfactory customer relationship during an assigned shift.

Incumbents supervise a group of Food Service Workers (usually less than 10 full-time-equivalent employees) in the performance of routine food preparation, serving and general maintenance duties in a kitchen or dining area.

Senior Food Service Worker

Under supervision, incumbents perform semi-skilled food preparation, serving and general maintenance duties in a kitchen or dining area. Incumbents may serve in a lead capacity over a small group of Food Service Workers (typically less than 5 full-time-equivalent employees). The Senior Food Service Worker differs from the Food Service Worker in that the duties performed usually require previous experience or training in food preparation, serving and general maintenance in a kitchen or dining area, and also require greater knowledge of the complexities of the area serviced.

Typical Level Examples

Incumbents serve food on a cafeteria steam line or in a dining area with portion control responsibility; and may prepare desserts and/or salads to be served in a cafeteria or dining room operation. In a diet kitchen incumbents prepare special orders under close supervision of a dietitian; and measure and place food items on trays and deliver trays to patients in a hospital.

As general maintenance workers, dishmachine attendants, pot and pan machine attendants, incumbents perform a wider variety of duties than is typical of the entry level, with less supervision, and greater responsibility for the maintenance of the, equipment used.

Food Service Worker

Under close supervision, incumbents perform a variety of unskilled duties related to food preparation, serving and general maintenance in a kitchen or dining area.

Typical Level Examples

As cooks’ helpers, incumbents pan bacon and sausages, crack eggs, wash and cut raw vegetables, slice luncheon meats; open and pan convenience food items in preparation for reconstitution; grind dry bread for crumbs; replenish dry storage bins; and clean equipment, cutlery, utensils, work tables, shelves, storage racks, meat blocks, cutting boards and sinks in the main food production areas.

As cafeteria line or dining room attendants, incumbents set up menu items to be served for each meal; fill cold wells, with ice; assemble plates, cups, silver and tray racks; prepare cream dispensers and set up coffee supplies; replenish napkins, tea bags, cold cereals, and ice cream; serve food to customers; and clean food warmers, cold wells, counter tops, pass-through refrigerators, toasters, sinks and bread machines.

As dishmachine attendants, incumbents scrape, stack, load, unrack and store dishes, glassware, silver and trays; assemble, operate, breakdown and clean dishmachine; and clean interior and exterior of conveyer belt.

As pot and pan machine attendants, incumbents assemble, scrape, soak and wash pots, pans and utensils in the pot machine; and clean pot machine, work tables, soak sinks and portable storage pot racks.

As general maintenance workers, incumbents clean and maintain stockpots, steam chef cookers, ovens, grills, deep wells, fryers and mixers; clean work tables, shelves, sinks, drinking fountains, storage cabinets, ice machines, refrigerators and food storage bins; clean walls, doors, and air-vents; collect, empty wash and redistribute garbage cans; and sweep and mop floors in kitchen or dining area.

Minimum Qualifications

Principal Food Service Worker

Ability to read, write, perform basic arithmetic calculations, and two years of experience in food preparation and general maintenance in a kitchen or dining area; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Senior Food Service Worker

Ability to read, write, perform basic arithmetic calculations, follow oral and written instructions, and six months of experience in food preparation and general maintenance in a kitchen or dining area; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Food Service Worker

Ability to read, write and follow oral and written instructions; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.