Does the Cicis System Standards regulate employee selection and promotion?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
System Standards may regulate any aspect of the operation and maintenance of your Restaurant, including, but not limited to, any one or more of the following:
- (2) staffing levels for your Restaurant and employee qualifications, dress, and appearance (although employee selection and promotion, hours worked, rates of pay and other benefits, work assigned and working conditions are your sole responsibility);
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 64–65)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, while the System Standards may regulate staffing levels and employee qualifications, dress, and appearance, the document explicitly states that employee selection and promotion are the sole responsibility of the franchisee. This means Cicis sets standards for the type of employees a franchisee should hire in terms of qualifications and how they should present themselves, but the actual hiring and promotion decisions are left to the franchisee.
This division of responsibility is common in franchising, where the franchisor maintains brand standards while the franchisee manages day-to-day operations. For a prospective Cicis franchisee, this means they have autonomy in building their team and deciding who to promote, but they must adhere to Cicis's guidelines for employee qualifications and appearance. This allows the franchisee to tailor their staffing decisions to the local market while maintaining a consistent brand image.
However, the franchisee is exclusively responsible for the terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, firing, training, compensation, work hours and schedules, work assignments, safety and security, discipline, and supervision. The franchisee must also manage the employment functions of their Restaurant in compliance with the Laws.