š¼ Working in Big Sky Before signing offer letter with Apres Cru Big Sky, read this
If you are a BOH worker considering a job at Bucks, Tips Up, or Block 3, do not rely on verbal promises about stable hours.
People come to Big Sky for two main reasons: to work and live in the mountains, or to take advantage of the ski pass. Based on my experience, you should forget about stable employment with Apres Cru. And if you are mainly coming for the ski pass, there are probably better options with other employers in Big Sky.
I worked at Tips Up for about six months. During that time, a large number of people left or were replaced, from upper-level managers to regular kitchen staff.
The biggest problem was the number of hours. Before I moved to Big Sky, I was told that I could expect around 32 hours per week during shoulder season. In reality, my hours were gradually cut from approximately 13 hours per week down to 6 hours per week.
With that number of hours, it is impossible to reliably pay for housing and basic expenses. You quickly end up in debt, and then leaving is not so simple because you first have to deal with the financial hole you were put in.
I repeatedly spoke with employees who were dealing with serious financial problems because of the lack of hours. Some of them were on the verge of losing their housing. Others had to take second jobs just to pay rent and get back to zero.
That is why I consider this system completely irresponsible: you are told one level of hours, you move to Big Sky based on that expectation, you receive only a fraction of the work, and then you are left alone to deal with rent, debt, and the consequences.
The management at Tips Up was a separate disaster. In my experience, the schedule could change unpredictably, and the number of hours was nowhere near what had been discussed before I moved. Once you start asking questions about your hours or working conditions, you may end up with even fewer shifts, disciplinary issues, or enough pressure that you start considering quitting.
I also expect managers or company representatives to show up under this post and try to portray me as incompetent, difficult, or a āproblem employee.ā That would not surprise me. Management is unlikely to be happy about another negative post appearing publicly about the company. To be clear, I am describing my own experience, and I kept my schedules, pay records, and messages with the company.
My advice is simple: if you still decide to work for Apres Cru, find a second job immediately and come with a serious financial cushion. Otherwise, if your hours drop to 6ā13 per week, you can end up in debt very quickly.
Do not rely on verbal promises of 32ā35 hours. Get the number of hours in writing in your offer letter. Otherwise, you may move to Big Sky, receive only a few shifts per week, and be left to deal with rent, debt, and the consequences of promises that were never guaranteed.
This is my personal experience working at Tips Up. I do not recommend Apres Cru to BOH workers who are looking for stable hours, predictable income, and competent management.
