Checklist template

Employee meal and discount control for restaurants

A ready-to-use checklist with 104 items in 6 sections, covering Policy awareness, Ringing procedure, Manager approval, Reports, Exceptions, Follow-up. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 104 Items
  • 87 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 117 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Policy awareness 19 items

  1. The written employee meal and discount policy is posted in the staff area Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The policy states who is eligible (on shift, minimum shift length) Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The policy states the discount percentage or the meal allowance per shift Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The policy lists the excluded items (for example alcohol, steak, seafood, retail merchandise) Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The policy states when a staff meal may be eaten (on break, before or after the shift) Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The policy states where a staff meal may be eaten Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The policy covers the discount for off-duty employees and the number of guests it extends to Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The policy states whether food may be taken home Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The policy covers fountain drinks and coffee during the shift Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The policy states what happens to mistake orders and leftover food Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The policy covers tasting by kitchen staff for quality checks Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A separate written rule covers the meals of managers Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Signed policy acknowledgments were on file for 5 employees sampled Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Employees out of 5 sampled with a signed acknowledgment on file Number
  15. 3 employees asked could state their meal allowance or discount Yes / No 1 pt
  16. 3 employees asked could state who must ring their meal Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The policy is part of the orientation checklist for new hires Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The policy is available in the languages spoken by the staff Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Awareness of the policy among employees asked Rating
    • All could state the rules 5 pts
    • Some could 3 pts
    • None could 1 pt

2. Ringing procedure 19 items

  1. Every employee meal is rung in the point-of-sale system before it is prepared Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The kitchen prepares employee meals only from a ticket Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Employee meals are rung on the employee meal key, so they appear on the employee meal report Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each meal is rung under the name or number of the employee who eats it Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Employees do not ring their own meals Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The employee keeps the receipt or chit while eating Yes / No 1 pt
  7. An employee meal seen during the visit had a matching entry in the system Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Employee meals are standard menu builds, with no oversized or off-menu portions Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Add-ons and upgrades on employee meals are charged per the policy Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Staff fountain drinks are taken in the designated staff cup Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Bartenders serve staff beverages only from a ticket Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The off-duty discount is rung with the employee's number after the employee is identified Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The discount for family or friends is given only when the employee is present at the table Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The employee discount is not combined with coupons or loyalty rewards Yes / No 1 pt
  15. No loyalty points are earned on employee-discounted checks Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Use of an employee code on online or app orders is blocked or reported Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The balance due on an employee meal is paid when it is ordered, with no running tab Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Staff meals packed to go at the end of a shift carry their receipt Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Ringing of employee meals observed during the visit Rating
    • Every meal rung before preparation 5 pts
    • Rung, but after preparation or by the employee 3 pts
    • Meals not rung 1 pt

3. Manager approval 15 items

  1. A manager's card or code is required to apply the employee meal discount Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The manager confirms the employee is on the schedule or clocked in before approving a shift meal Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No manager card or code is shared with crew to approve meals Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A manager's own meal is rung by another manager or entered on the manager meal log Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Manager meals of the sample week were within the manager allowance Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Meals above the allowance carry the general manager's written approval Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The expediter or a manager hands out employee meals against the ticket Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Meals for visiting trainers and head office staff are rung on a separate key with the person's name Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Meals given to vendors or contractors are rung as promotional, with the manager's name and the reason Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The shift leaders authorized to approve employee meals are listed in writing Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The employee discount percentage is fixed in the key and cannot be typed in by the user Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Former employees are removed from the point-of-sale system and the discount list within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The report shows which manager approved each employee meal Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Managers and shift leaders authorized to approve employee meals Number
  15. Manager control of the employee discount Rating
    • Approved in person every time 5 pts
    • Approved, but cards or codes sometimes shared 3 pts
    • Discount applied without a manager 1 pt

4. Reports 17 items

  1. The employee meal and discount report of each of the last 7 days is on file Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The weekly employee meal report lists the meals by employee Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Employee meals and discounts last week (dollars) Number
  4. Employee meals and discounts last week as a percentage of sales (%) Number
  5. Budgeted employee meal cost (%) Number
  6. The number of employee meals on a sampled day did not exceed the number of shifts worked that day Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Meals rung for employees who were not clocked in are flagged on the report Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The report shows the items of each employee meal Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Employee discounts are reported separately from guest discounts and promotions Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The general manager signs the weekly report Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Date of the last weekly report signed by the general manager Date
  12. Employee meal reports are kept for the period set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The district manager receives a comparison of employee meal cost across restaurants Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The weekly report shows employee meal cost beside the previous period Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Off-duty discount use is listed by employee Yes / No 1 pt
  16. High-cost items appearing in employee meals are marked on the weekly report Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Review of employee meal reports Rating
    • Reviewed weekly and signed 5 pts
    • Reviewed occasionally 3 pts
    • Not reviewed 1 pt

5. Exceptions 16 items

  1. No excluded item appears in the employee meals of the sample week Yes / No 1 pt
  2. No employee received more than the allowed number of meals per shift in the sample week Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Meals above the allowance in the sample week show payment of the difference Yes / No 1 pt
  4. No employee discount in the sample week was applied to a check with more entrées than the policy allows Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No employee-discounted cash check in the sample week was closed by the employee who received the discount Yes / No 1 pt
  6. No employee was seen eating food without a ticket or receipt during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No food without a receipt was found in the staff area during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No employee was seen eating from the line (fries, chicken tenders, garnishes) during the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Food left at closing is discarded or donated per policy, not shared out among staff Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Mistake orders are recorded as waste, not eaten by staff Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No free food or drink is given to delivery couriers outside the written policy Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Courtesy meals (for example for police or first responders) are given only under a written policy and rung on its key Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Meals for staff meetings and special occasions have the general manager's written approval Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The staff "family meal", where one is served, is made from a set recipe and recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Exceptions found in the sample week Number
  16. Level of exceptions found in the sample week Rating
    • None 5 pts
    • A few, already addressed by the manager 3 pts
    • Many or unaddressed 1 pt

6. Follow-up 18 items

  1. Each exception found at report review was discussed with the employee, with a note on file Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Repeat violations are handled through the company's progressive discipline Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Amounts owed by employees are recovered only as local regulation and company policy allow Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Managers who approved out-of-policy meals have been coached Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Policy changes are communicated to employees in writing Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Employee meal cost is an item in the manager meeting notes Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Suspected theft is escalated to loss prevention or human resources, not handled by the manager alone Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Camera footage is reviewed when the ringing of a meal is in question Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Changes to point-of-sale permissions requested after earlier reviews have been made Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No employee named in the exceptions of the previous audit appears again in the exceptions of this sample week Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A refresher on the policy was given to the team in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Date of the last refresher on the policy Date
  13. The district manager audits employee meals at the frequency set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Date of the previous employee meal audit Date
  15. Corrective actions from the previous audit have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name of the general manager Short text
  17. Overall control of employee meals and discounts Rating
    • Strong 5 pts
    • Partial 3 pts
    • Weak 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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