THAT PRACTICE. LUNCHTIME CUSTOMERS POUR INTO THE ORIGINAL OYSTER HOUSED AT 11 A.M. EVERYBODY ORDER! CARTER ORDERING HOT SAUCE. DO YOU NEED UTENSILS AS WELL? IT’S NOTED AS PITTSBURGH’S OLDEST BUSINESS. THIS YEAR, THE ORIGINAL OYSTER HOUSE WILL CELEBRATE 153 YEARS OF SERVING FISH TO CUSTOMERS. BUT IT’S ALSO CHANGING WITH THE TIMES. THIS IS ITS SECOND YEAR OPERATING ON A FOUR DAY WORKWEEK. YOU GOT THE SOUP. HEATHER KNECHT LOVES THE FOUR DAY WORKWEEK JUST AS MUCH AS THE CUSTOMERS LOVE THEIR FISH. SEEING HOW WE DO A LOT OF LONG HOURS, SOMETIMES TEN, 11 HOUR DAYS, TENDING. SO HAVING THE THREE DAYS OFF, YOU FEEL MORE RESTED AND YOU HAVE TIME TO DO THINGS. A TEAM OF 12 EMPLOYEES MAKE UP THE ENTIRE STAFF WITH THE ORIGINAL OYSTER HOUSE. THEY WORK LONG HOURS, SOMETIMES TEN OR 12 HOURS A DAY. BUT A POST-PANDEMIC WORKER SHORTAGE FUELED THE IDEA OF A FOUR DAY WORKWEEK. AND WE NORMALLY NEED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 15 EMPLOYEES. AND THAT’S THE BARE MINIMUM. AND WE WERE RUNNING ON SIX OF US. AND THAT INCLUDED MY MOTHER AND ME. FOR EXAMPLE, NEARLY FIVE MEALS ARE SOLD EACH DAY DURING LENT. ABOUT 400 A DAY. THE REST OF THE WITH LITTLE RECOVERY WITH TWO DAYS OFF. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY NO QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ANY OF US HERE IN THE BUSINESS. BUT OWNER JEN GRIPPO SAYS THE FOUR DAY WORKWEEK HAS GIVEN HER EMPLOYEES TIME TO ENJOY EVENTS THAT OTHERS MIGHT TAKE FOR GRANTED. IT FURTHERS SOLIDIFIED EVEN TO ME THAT EVEN FOR US HERE AT THE OYSTER HOUSE, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE LIFE TO BE LIVED OUTSIDE OF THESE FOUR WALLS, AND CUSTOMERS COULD STILL ENJOY THAT GOO
4-day workweek already a success for one of Pittsburgh's oldest businesses
The Original Oyster House in Market Square will celebrate 153 years of serving seafood meals to customers.
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Updated: 11:57 AM EST Mar 4, 2023
Employees at the Original Oyster House say their lives changed two years ago when owner Jen Grippo scaled down their work week to four days.This year, the Original Oyster House will celebrate 153 years of serving seafood meals to its customers, with 400 to 500 orders a day on average.With a staff of 12 to 15 people, the pace was grueling and demanding of long hours."There was absolutely no quality of life for any of us here in the business," Grippo says.She also had to contend with a post-pandemic worker shortage that slashed her staffing numbers in half.That prompted the shift to the four-day work week, allowing her employees to participate in some of the events around town that others might take for granted.Simply put, they acquired quality time away from work."Seeing that we do a lot of long hours, sometimes 10, 11-hour days pending, so having the three days off, you feel more rested, you have time to do things," says Heather Knecht, a longtime employee.As lawmakers in the state Legislature consider business tax incentives for a four-day workweek pilot program, Grippo says it has had a positive impact on her employees since adopting the reduced workweek strategy in 2021."It further solidified to me that, even for us at the Oyster House, there was so much more life to be lived outside of these four walls," she said.
PITTSBURGH — Employees at the Original Oyster House say their lives changed two years ago when owner Jen Grippo scaled down their work week to four days.
This year, the Original Oyster House will celebrate 153 years of serving seafood meals to its customers, with 400 to 500 orders a day on average.
With a staff of 12 to 15 people, the pace was grueling and demanding of long hours.
"There was absolutely no quality of life for any of us here in the business," Grippo says.
She also had to contend with a post-pandemic worker shortage that slashed her staffing numbers in half.
That prompted the shift to the four-day work week, allowing her employees to participate in some of the events around town that others might take for granted.
Simply put, they acquired quality time away from work.
"Seeing that we do a lot of long hours, sometimes 10, 11-hour days pending, so having the three days off, you feel more rested, you have time to do things," says Heather Knecht, a longtime employee.
As lawmakers in the state Legislature consider business tax incentives for a four-day workweek pilot program, Grippo says it has had a positive impact on her employees since adopting the reduced workweek strategy in 2021.
"It further solidified to me that, even for us at the Oyster House, there was so much more life to be lived outside of these four walls," she said.
