Need Help, Dont Know what to do

[zcsimmons]

I work for a restaurant, and one of the cooks are very obnoxious. Usually I could deal with his behavior, but one night i just couldn't take any more. This night I was scheduled to leave at 8 oclock. All the orders that came in before 8pm i made sure that they were handed out. I finished everything I was supposed to do. Because it was busy, I clocked out and stuck around to help out. Although they saw that I was angry they kept at it and made comment. (Oh he will get over it) At which point I sent my brother I text stating come get me asap. Which he did. And I did not leave until around 8:18 to 8:20. At that time there was only one car in the drive thru, waiting on their food, which was cooking, and as I walked out the door there seemed to be a family walking in the door. Now here comes the troubling part. The shift manager for that night, basically said that I left the store when they were completely busy (lobby full of customers, and and cars rapped around the building). On top of that she said she asked me to stay and I said yes. (which I do not remember)

She called me about a minute after I left, I did not answer the first few phone calls. Then a little while later I checked my voicemail (which she left a message saying that my leaving was ground for termination). I called her back and told her everything, and with her everything seemed to be staright. She told me that the owner of the store was gonna call me later on that I night, which she did. I told her everything that happened that night, and seemed fine with it, she asked if it was that she needed to deal with, and I told her no. (everything was fine). The next day, I went to work the General Manager pulled me to the side and asked me what happened, which i told her, and she understood. She further went on to say that giving the situation, I could not get in trouble for anything. (1) I was working for free after, and (2) all the orders had been taken care of that came in before 8 pm.

When the shift leader came in later on, she seemed fine we both said high to one another, and i thought everything was cool. The owner was finishing up for the day and went out to her car when the SH followed her out there. About 5 to 10 minutes later, I get pulled into a meeting were the SH called me a liar. Now I am in complete shock, she actually lied on me right in my face. She said that when I left that the store was busy to the point were there was a screen full of orders. So long story short I ended up getting written up. And now both her and the cook are walking around with attitudes.

What should I do?????

[gimmethesimplelife]

Hi, and welcome! Good to see a fellow restaurant person here (though I am not currently in the biz I have been for more years than I care to admit).

Your situation calls to mind so many crazy and insane situations I have personally been in over the years where I just wanted to scream because it was the only sane thing to do - but of course you can't when in this situation. My advice? How much money do you have saved, enough to float you for awhile? How well connected are you in the business? What is unemployment like where you are? Is there a district manager you can call, and if so, are they human or just a corporate drone? Are you open to seasonal work if you can leave your life situation in a hurry and focus on saving some cash? If so, checkout www.coolworks.com, this is a seasonal workers website and some employers are still hiring if this is an option for you.

Did any of that help? I wouldn't (unless you are in a very low unemployment area) do anything rash and just walk - a write up is a dime a dozen, really, and I'm guessing you are probably emotionally checking out of this job already anyway? Don't stress the write up - let it go. Ditto the co-worker attitudes - their times to be written up will come, too. I'd be thinking in terms of cash flow and survival at the moment while putting a neutral face on everything and revealing nothing about what is going on in your mind.

It's a crazy biz, and the only people who will ever fully understand that are the ones who have been there themselves. Don't let it eat you up and spit you out, and always, always, always place yourself above all else if you wish to retain sanity and have any longevity in the biz. I have learned those last two the hard way.......And good luck to you, please come back and let us know how it works out. Rob

[Selah]

I agree with what Rob said. I only worked for a few years at a fast-food restaurant during high school, but from what I remember, I also experienced similar things. The only good thing about it was back then, no one had cellphones, so no manager could get to you once you had left the "store." And by the time your next shift came around, they'd usually forgotten it. I agree, don't stress the write-up...it is nonsense, and chances are, if they used it for grounds for termination, you could fight it in labor court by getting closed-circuit footage of when you left, i.e. AFTER your scheduled shift! I can't imagine anything standing up in court where it's legal for someone to fire you for not "volunteering" to work without pay after your shift!

But, yes...just try to get out of the business, or else work your way into management so YOU can treat people fairly and provide a healthier, saner working environment for everyone. Good luck!

[sweetana3]

If you read any of the autobiographies about restaurant workers in extremely high end places, they deal with the same thing. There are just more $$ involved.

[gimmethesimplelife]

If you read any of the autobiographies about restaurant workers in extremely high end places, they deal with the same thing. There are just more $$ involved.True that. I've done the low end, the mid-range, and the high end and it's the same basic insanity everywhere. I personally cope with the mid-range the best in non-corporate chains or at chain three star hotels. For some reason I have my best longevity in this setting and it's the most real for me without some of the obnoxiousness and overall harassment of the low end. But everyone who stays in the business long enough finds their niche eventually. Rob

[zcsimmons]

Thanks Rob. The thing that I still cant get over right now, is that she lied to my face, in front of the owner and general manager (called me a liar straight to my face), and i was dumb founded and did not know how to react. All respect I have held for this person is gone, I really do not want to work with them write. And their walking around like someone did them wrong. I am just wondering should I just sit down with the GM and owner, and tell them that I dont want to work on that persons shift anymore, or just endure until I find another job. (need full time employment!!)

[gadder]

I work in the "fast service" restaurant industry. There's a mix of people - good team players, drones, brain-dead part-timers, relaxed retirees, and insecure power-tripping jerks. It is not industry-specific, it is any business really, but this business is more rife with employee abuse because it can get away with it.

My advice: minimum wage means minimum loyalty - do not bother informing management about the issues, they'll just see you as a trouble-maker. Move on.

[Jilly]

... The thing that I still cant get over right now, is that she lied to my face, in front of the owner and general manager (called me a liar straight to my face) ...

This happens in every job. Heck, it can happen in every part of our lives. It always stings and makes you wonder if doing what you like or need to do to support yourself is worth the effort to hold yourself above the drama. All you can do is to hold to your own standards for decent behavior and let the rest go. That is so easy to say, but difficult to do when someone else is being stupid and cruel.

One of my sisters had a career in being a server in all kinds of restaurants. She is high-maintenance sibling and loves drama, so it was a perfect life for her and her personality.

[zcsimmons]

Hi Everyone, well I sat down with the owner of the restaurant, and explained everything to her, and asked to be transferred off of this particular persons shift. The result being that we will see how everything goes tomorrow, and it will be carried forward from there. And I have to wait until she is able to higher additional staff and I will be transferred. After talking to another coworker, who also happens to be one of the managers, will probably switch a few days with me.

Thanks Everyone!!! So we will see how everything goes? But sometimes I wonder, with the amount of drama that goes on, should I write a book? It would probably be turned into another soap.

[gimmethesimplelife]

Hi Everyone, well I sat down with the owner of the restaurant, and explained everything to her, and asked to be transferred off of this particular persons shift. The result being that we will see how everything goes tomorrow, and it will be carried forward from there. And I have to wait until she is able to higher additional staff and I will be transferred. After talking to another coworker, who also happens to be one of the managers, will probably switch a few days with me.

Thanks Everyone!!! So we will see how everything goes? But sometimes I wonder, with the amount of drama that goes on, should I write a book? It would probably be turned into another soap.There is something about the restaurant business that just feeds and breeds drama. Seriously. So much stress, so little sense, and so much rapid fire phony smile on your feet survival thinking. One thing you will take with you if you leave the biz is the ability to think quick and survive on your feet. This is a good thing to have in this day and age, me thinks.

And I hope this schedule change thing will make things better for you, and once again, it's great to have another restaurant person here! Rob