Can you work in a pub part-time?
People work part time in all sectors but it’s most common in retail, industrial and hospitality. In fact, government statistics show that part-timers constitute one-in-five hospitality workers.
Why so many? Well, a few reasons, actually. Flexible hours and the culture of swapping shifts with other part-timers makes hospitality work ideal for people with other commitments such as studying or being a parent. Then there’s the scope for picking up optional extra hours and boosting your income with tips, which is even greater if you’re working a seasonal role during the festive period. And, y’know, pubs are pretty cosy that time of year. It all adds up to make pub work some of the most desirable part-time roles out there.
Let’s look in more detail at working part time in a pub.
👉Can I get extra hours working part-time in a pub?
👉Can I earn a good wage working part-time in a pub?
👉Learn skills you can use anywhere
Can I get extra hours working part-time in a pub?
Not being bound to a 35 or 40 hour week is one of the main reasons people choose to work part time. But, just because you might have regular hours of 16 or 20 hours a week as a part-time worker, that doesn’t mean you can’t get extra hours as and when you need them.
At busy times like Christmas or at the height of summer when customers come flocking to beer gardens in pubs across the land, there tend to be more than enough hours to go around. Your manager might ask if you can stay on for a couple of extra hours or do an extra shift to help out with an unexpectedly busy week. Times like these, when it’s all hands on deck, tend to be some of the most fun and when you’ll develop a real bond with your teammates.
That’s great news for students because the pub calendar and its peaks and troughs are aligned almost exactly with the academic timetable. At the end of May when the warmer weather arrives and pubs get busy and, likewise, over Christmas when extra hours are there for the taking, uni is closed. If you’re a student, you can bump up your hours close to full time—if you want to.
And that’s the key point. Because, if you’ve got an assignment that needs finishing or another commitment, you can always say ‘no’ to extra hours if you need to. That’s the freedom that being a part-timer allows.
Can I earn a good wage working part time in a pub?
Part-time pub jobs pay roughly the same as retail or factory/warehouse jobs. But they have the added benefit of tips. You might not think it, but tips can bump up your wage quite significantly.
The way tips are divided up will vary from pub to pub. Some pubs might share tips after every shift. Others will collect them after each shift and put them into a ‘pot’ that will be divided up on a monthly basis and given to you as a lump sum. And don’t think for a second that, as a chef working back-of-house, you’ll be left out of the tip party. Tips are given as much for the quality of food as they are for service, so your managers will cut you in.
The deferred gratification involved with the monthly system can make the tip bonus really satisfying, but getting a few quid for a couple of drinks, a takeaway or, indeed, for your piggy bank works better for some. Both can really incentivise putting on your gameface and going the extra mile for every customer. Of course, you get paid to do that anyway, but there’s something a bit more personal and special about getting that bit extra for your efforts.
Learn skills you can use anywhere
The great thing about pub, bar and kitchen work is that it’s pretty much the same wherever you go in the world. Drinks are poured the same. Flavours might change, but food gets hot the same in Dubai as it does in Doncaster. And good service is valued the world over. So, although you might only be working part time—perhaps in your first ever job—you’ll equip yourself with skills that could open doors anywhere. If you’re a student planning to travel for a year after graduation, pub experience could be your golden ticket.
You don’t have to be a student to get wider benefits from part-time work. Perhaps you’re taking on part-time pub work while you track down the perfect holy grail of full-time careers. If that’s the case, you have chosen wisely. That’s because working in a pub isn’t just about pulling pints and and serving up amazing pub grub (important though they are) it’s also about communication, collaboration, customer service—three Cs that will stand you in good stead with any employer in any sector once you’ve decided on your vocation. And—who knows?—once you’ve had a taste of pub life, you might find it was your calling all along.
Looking for something else to read? Check out our overview of everything you need to know about temporary pub jobs.
From Apprenticeships to management, from the north of Scotland to the far west of Cornwall, if you’re looking for a role in a hospitality, the huge range of opportunities that Greene King have are definitely worth a look.👀
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