I never made it as a working class hero
So I'm quitting my job.
Wait, back up. I am applying elsewhere, and as soon as someone offers me a position, I'm getting the fuck away from my current employer.
What brought this on, you may ask?
First, for the last three weeks or so, I have literally worked a double all but three shifts. The only days I had off were the ones I specifically requested off. Granted, I did go on vacation, but otherwise, I have been scheduled to the max. Now, they're usually very conscious about us going into overtime, so normally when someone is scheduled this much, they will let them go early. Let's not forget that I was an opener all but two of these double shifts, meaning that I was at work half an hour before everyone else and therefore should be first to leave.
Right?
Well, what ended up happening was that Beth would schedule too many people for night shift, so one lucky person would get to go home. I was NEVER that person even though my name would be at the top of the overtime list that was printed out and in plain view for all of us to see every single week. Not only that, I would often be one of the last people to leave, and usually, I would make very little money due to the fact that we would have too many people on. Pre-vacation, I was fed up with being bored and underpaid and underworked, but I resolved that I would just go on vacation and enjoy myself.
A few days before I was due to leave, Beth left the restaurant permanently. The funny thing about this was that Beth was the one in charge of three schedules: bussers, hosts, and servers. Beth was also in charge of training new people, and given that it's that time of year where college students leave and/or come to town, our entire staff was already in chaos. Now, Joy the bartender extraordinaire is in charge of training, and she's on top of things. However, the server schedule is now being done by Jimmy, and that's where things were beginning to fall apart. We were told that the schedule would be posted online by Sunday like it has been since I've worked there. However, it's technically Tuesday morning, and no schedule has been posted there. This will make things interesting since we're only allowed to switch shifts on our handy schedule website, and someone always trades or picks up shifts every single week. It also saves us time by not having to drive all the way into work to check the schedule.
Instead, Jimmy has asked (almost) everyone for their school availability, and he's created a schedule around that. God only knows what kind of stimulant he was on when he made his handwritten mess. He has people scheduled at the the most random times, and he's even scheduled some people while they are in class!
Not to mention that since he is a very short man (I don't think he's even five feet), this new sense of entitlement has gone straight to his head. He's become even more obnoxious than he already was, micromanaging the people he doesn't like and giving even more leeway to his little club of favorites. He's also already latched onto the new cute blonde waitresses like a pocket-sized pervert. He's also threatening to prevent a hostess from moving up to serving even though she's completed her training with flying colors and now has a baby to support, not to mention the fact that she's been hosting there for almost a year.
The icing on the cake was when I checked my time card on Saturday. The previous day, I had gotten there at 10:30 that morning, and they wouldn't let me leave until after 11:00 PM. I got in my car and called Alex at 11:24 PM after I had just clocked out and left. (Our dining room closes at 11, meaning that the people who got there at 5 are supposed to be off shortly after 11 once they've cleaned and shut down everything). On Saturday, the time stamp said I had left at 10:22 the previous evening. I showed it to Boogie the manager who said he would fix it for me, and I added that multiple other servers had witnessed me being there that late. As of today, it still hasn't been fixed. Keep in mind that what is going on is VERY VERY ILLEGAL, and apparently, it's nothing new. I have heard that the entire management staff can be sacked and possibly sent to prison if this is reported, but I need to research this further. When I left Saturday night, I was so angry that just considering leaving wasn't enough, and it was time to get out.
I worked yesterday and for once actually got out at a decent hour. (Like, it was still light outside. I could have cried with joy or cried from the fact that I wasted another beautiful day there.) I worked again this morning, and the schedule was so fucked up that I was scheduled at 10:30 and there was only one other server scheduled (but not until NOON) and somehow I ended up having two trainees for an hour and a half? I got out around like three or so, and I had just enough time to go put in an application at this really yummy/tiny/independent Mediterranean restaurant as well as talk to the manager. He told me he'd look at my app in more detail and call me for an interview if I was needed, so I'm going to apply other places as well. I would love to just quit now, but I need to keep making and saving money.
The best part about the whole thing is that so many of us are trying to find new jobs so we can leave. I can think of one who has achieved this, and six more including myself who are ready to peace the fuck out. I hope they enjoy having an entirely new staff that doesn't know anything!
I know that wherever I go isn't going to be perfect, but at this point, it's hard to get much worse than what I've been through already. I'm tired of making excuses for them in my head and thinking that it's going to get better. I'm sick of them taking advantage of me and everyone else who works there. I'm sick of the stupid rules like how you can be fired if you're caught on your cell phone on the clock (even in the kitchen where no customers can see!) or how you can't leave while you're on break unless you ask a manager. I hate the food, I hate the clientele and how I always get people who tip really badly, I hate the corporate mindset, and for the love of God, I fucking HATE Jimmy Buffett!
Anyhoodle, classes have thankfully started, meaning I have an excuse to cut my hours and busy myself with something else. Thank GOODNESS. I'm not sure if I'll be going out tomorrow to put in more applications since I'll be in class during the slowest time of the day for restaurants, but we'll see what happens. Things can only go up, right?
Wait, back up. I am applying elsewhere, and as soon as someone offers me a position, I'm getting the fuck away from my current employer.
What brought this on, you may ask?
First, for the last three weeks or so, I have literally worked a double all but three shifts. The only days I had off were the ones I specifically requested off. Granted, I did go on vacation, but otherwise, I have been scheduled to the max. Now, they're usually very conscious about us going into overtime, so normally when someone is scheduled this much, they will let them go early. Let's not forget that I was an opener all but two of these double shifts, meaning that I was at work half an hour before everyone else and therefore should be first to leave.
Right?
Well, what ended up happening was that Beth would schedule too many people for night shift, so one lucky person would get to go home. I was NEVER that person even though my name would be at the top of the overtime list that was printed out and in plain view for all of us to see every single week. Not only that, I would often be one of the last people to leave, and usually, I would make very little money due to the fact that we would have too many people on. Pre-vacation, I was fed up with being bored and underpaid and underworked, but I resolved that I would just go on vacation and enjoy myself.
A few days before I was due to leave, Beth left the restaurant permanently. The funny thing about this was that Beth was the one in charge of three schedules: bussers, hosts, and servers. Beth was also in charge of training new people, and given that it's that time of year where college students leave and/or come to town, our entire staff was already in chaos. Now, Joy the bartender extraordinaire is in charge of training, and she's on top of things. However, the server schedule is now being done by Jimmy, and that's where things were beginning to fall apart. We were told that the schedule would be posted online by Sunday like it has been since I've worked there. However, it's technically Tuesday morning, and no schedule has been posted there. This will make things interesting since we're only allowed to switch shifts on our handy schedule website, and someone always trades or picks up shifts every single week. It also saves us time by not having to drive all the way into work to check the schedule.
Instead, Jimmy has asked (almost) everyone for their school availability, and he's created a schedule around that. God only knows what kind of stimulant he was on when he made his handwritten mess. He has people scheduled at the the most random times, and he's even scheduled some people while they are in class!
Not to mention that since he is a very short man (I don't think he's even five feet), this new sense of entitlement has gone straight to his head. He's become even more obnoxious than he already was, micromanaging the people he doesn't like and giving even more leeway to his little club of favorites. He's also already latched onto the new cute blonde waitresses like a pocket-sized pervert. He's also threatening to prevent a hostess from moving up to serving even though she's completed her training with flying colors and now has a baby to support, not to mention the fact that she's been hosting there for almost a year.
The icing on the cake was when I checked my time card on Saturday. The previous day, I had gotten there at 10:30 that morning, and they wouldn't let me leave until after 11:00 PM. I got in my car and called Alex at 11:24 PM after I had just clocked out and left. (Our dining room closes at 11, meaning that the people who got there at 5 are supposed to be off shortly after 11 once they've cleaned and shut down everything). On Saturday, the time stamp said I had left at 10:22 the previous evening. I showed it to Boogie the manager who said he would fix it for me, and I added that multiple other servers had witnessed me being there that late. As of today, it still hasn't been fixed. Keep in mind that what is going on is VERY VERY ILLEGAL, and apparently, it's nothing new. I have heard that the entire management staff can be sacked and possibly sent to prison if this is reported, but I need to research this further. When I left Saturday night, I was so angry that just considering leaving wasn't enough, and it was time to get out.
I worked yesterday and for once actually got out at a decent hour. (Like, it was still light outside. I could have cried with joy or cried from the fact that I wasted another beautiful day there.) I worked again this morning, and the schedule was so fucked up that I was scheduled at 10:30 and there was only one other server scheduled (but not until NOON) and somehow I ended up having two trainees for an hour and a half? I got out around like three or so, and I had just enough time to go put in an application at this really yummy/tiny/independent Mediterranean restaurant as well as talk to the manager. He told me he'd look at my app in more detail and call me for an interview if I was needed, so I'm going to apply other places as well. I would love to just quit now, but I need to keep making and saving money.
The best part about the whole thing is that so many of us are trying to find new jobs so we can leave. I can think of one who has achieved this, and six more including myself who are ready to peace the fuck out. I hope they enjoy having an entirely new staff that doesn't know anything!
I know that wherever I go isn't going to be perfect, but at this point, it's hard to get much worse than what I've been through already. I'm tired of making excuses for them in my head and thinking that it's going to get better. I'm sick of them taking advantage of me and everyone else who works there. I'm sick of the stupid rules like how you can be fired if you're caught on your cell phone on the clock (even in the kitchen where no customers can see!) or how you can't leave while you're on break unless you ask a manager. I hate the food, I hate the clientele and how I always get people who tip really badly, I hate the corporate mindset, and for the love of God, I fucking HATE Jimmy Buffett!
Anyhoodle, classes have thankfully started, meaning I have an excuse to cut my hours and busy myself with something else. Thank GOODNESS. I'm not sure if I'll be going out tomorrow to put in more applications since I'll be in class during the slowest time of the day for restaurants, but we'll see what happens. Things can only go up, right?