Many establishments in this industry are open long hours, affording some employees an opportunity to tailor work schedules topersonal or family needs while allowing others greater flexibility in setting their work hours. Stafftypically is needed to work during evening, weekend, and holiday hours. Also, some employees may work split shifts—several hours during one busy period, then off for a few hours, and then return to work during the next busy period—to cover peak demand needs of the restaurant. Some employees may rotate work on some shifts on a regular basis to ensure proper coverage during these times.

Food services and drinking places must comply with local fire, safety, and sanitation regulations. They also must provide appropriate public accommodations and ensure that employees use safe food handling measures. These practices require establishments to maintain supplies of chemicals, detergents, and other materials that may be harmful if not used properly.

Typical establishments have well-designed kitchens with state-of-the-art cooking and refrigeration equipment and proper electrical, lighting and ventilation systems to keep everything functioning. However, kitchens usually are noisy, and may be very hot near stoves, grills, ovens, or steam tables. Chefs, cooks, food preparation workers, and other kitchen staff, such as dishwashers, may suffer minor cuts or burns, be subject to scalding or steaming liquids, and spend most of their time standing in a relatively confined area.

Dining areas also may be well-designed, but can become crowded and noisy when busy. Servers, attendants, and other dining-room staff, such as bartenders and hosts or hostesses, need to protect against falls, spills, or burns while serving diners and keeping service areas stocked. Also, dining-room staff must be aware of stairs, raised platforms or other obstacles when directing patrons through narrow areas or to distant seating areas.

Most food services and drinking places workers spend most of their time on their feet—preparing meals, serving diners, or transporting dishes and supplies throughout the establishment. Upper body strength often is needed to lift heavy items, such as trays of dishes, platters of food, or cooking pots. Work during peak dining hours can be very hectic and stressful.

Employees who have direct contact with customers, such as waiters and waitresses or hosts and hostesses, should have a neat appearance and maintain a professional and pleasant manner. Professional hospitality is required from the moment guests enter the restaurant until the time they leave. Sustaining a proper demeanor during busy times or over the course of a long shift may be difficult.

Kitchen staff also needs to be able to work as a team and to communicate with each other. Timing is critical to preparing more complex dishes. Coordinating orders to ensure that an entire table's meals are ready at the same time is essential, particularly in a large restaurant during busy dining periods.

In 2002, the rate of work-related injuries and illnesses was 4.6 per 100 full-time workers in eating and drinking places, slightly less than the average of 5.3 for the private sector. Work hazards include the possibility of burns from hot equipment, sprained muscles, and wrenched backs from heavy lifting and falls on slippery floors.