Top industry hack!

At an industry event a C suite executive at a top rated restaurant chain related a recent "discovery"

On nights where one staff member calls in sick to a restaurant, no replacement is offered - everyone works harder. And, he said, service is not noticeably affected

On nights where two staff members call in sick, a more senior employee (usually a manager or supervisor) from another restaurant is sent to the affected outlet and, service levels increase and customer satisfaction rises

Having observed this repeatedly one of the senior team identified a long term solution

Hire more experienced workers, and pay them better to get better levels of service and happier customers