So I am a lurker mostly but wanted to post my experiences… Just to get it out. I'm 37 now and work in programming and am happy, but it wasn't always like that. (Some jobs I worked 2 or 3 at the same time)
First job – 18 years old – Torrid
I didn't know then that you had sick days. Didn't know they were a thing. No one told me or if they did I forgot (found out in my 30's I have a legit memory problem). Anyways so I get sick. But I kept working, because that's what you do. But I didn't get better. It got so bad I could barely stand and my neck was so swollen I couldn't turn my head. The boss yelled at me in front of everyone why I didn't call out sick and go to a doctor. So I went to a doctor who yelled at me since I had mono and it was really close to pneumonia. He told me I couldn't work for 2 weeks. I told my boss who yelled at me that I couldn't work… Ya can't win.
Second job – 20ish – Harkins movie theatre
1) When cleaning the rooms, the managers would pick the prettiest girl to sit on their laps while the rest of us cleaned.
2) When my friend became very ill, they refused to let her go home and instead had her work near the toilets so she could throw up when she needed. Which she did for the rest of the night.
Third job – 20? – Chevron
I got really really sick one day. Bladder infection. I was in agonizing pain so I called my boss so he could come in so I could go to the doctor. He refused. He said I had to find another employee. So I called all the other employees. None picked up. Finally one came in, I got down on my knees and begged him to take over because of the pain. He just laughed at me. The pain was unbearable. I had no other choice, I called up the boss and told him, “you either take over or I close the store.” He came.
Fourth job – 21 – Seattle's Best
1) This coffee shop was in a book store. On my day off while shopping for books, the manager told me I wasn't allowed to wear a headband. I told her I wasn't working, she said that didn't matter.
2) The manager refused to train employees and would leave them alone during rush hour. They wouldn't know how to make any drinks for the customers and would just cry. She would then come back and yell at them.
Fifth job – 21 – Whole Foods
1) A customer on purpose would go through my line and goad me into crying. When he learned I was leaving he made sure to tell me this and how much pleasure it have him. Management did give me permission not to serve him but as we all know there isn't much else they will do because they care more about money then people killing them selves over bullying.
2) A women wrote in about me. A 3 long page essay about how I acted like a princess and refused to help her. Management said that since there were no cameras they would take her story over mine. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm the most loving person you'll ever meet.
3) A coworker was bending over to grab bread that had fallen. A male customer looked at her and said loudly, “Now THAT'S how I like to see my women!” She burst into tears. Management did nothing except escort him around and gave him more customer service to make him feel more comfortable.
4) I was on my final written warning at this store. I say this because I worked at another grocery store for 6 years and never once got written up. I work hard, I love people and if there is good management, it's recognized.
Sixth job – 22 – Michaels (art store)
I just used this job as an interim job. I was leaving Whole Foods and going to GoDaddy. I was going to quit in like a month. BUT I have great work ethic and work hard no matter what. Some kid comes up to me and says, “I've been here for a long time and no matter how hard you work, I'm getting the managers job, not you.” I told him that, dude, I'm not here for that. I could care less and I'm quitting soon. @.@
Seventh job – 22 – GoDaddy
This was a good job. But that was a long time ago, don't know if it still is. Though don't get me wrong it had some oddities. I got treated badly because I was “female”. But when I went to HR that shit got shut down fast. So they took care of me.
Eighth job – 24 – Kress IGA (Small independent grocery store)
1) Grossest job. They never took care of rats so we would accidently step on them all the time.
2) One customer would always go through my line and throw money at my face. I asked him to stop. He refused and said he liked to do that. After the third time or so I did it back. He got all angry, “W-Why did you do that?” Me: “I thought that's what you like?” I quit a week later.
Ninth job – 25 – QFC
This was another good job. But that is only because of the location. And it still has a lot of issues. And all the ones we complain about all the time. One that pissed me off to no end was our morning meetings. Every single morning the managers would say, without fail, “record sales, cut hours”.
I also worked at Staples, a private gothic club. Then when I went back to school I worked at the school as a Systems Operator, Tutor and taught highschool students to program.
There was more shit I went through but… That's a chunk.