Sup guys. I work at my local Arby's and the shit I see and hear on a day to day basis is really starting to piss me off.
This have gone on for months now, but I have only recently had the chance to discuss it with my boss. I talked to her (general manager) last night on the phone and we discussed my pay. I get paid 11.15 an hour (minimum wage in Missouri). Although I have been working here for a year (year mark in August), I have gotten 0 raises. The only time my pay went up was when minimum wage shifted from 10 something to 11.15. Recently, I learned new hires and previous workers were starting out at 13, despite being new, and heres me, working here a year and at 11.15 an hour. My boss justified this by saying “its an availability issue”. But Ive been scheduled 25 to 35 hours a week sijce summer has started and I graduated, the same relative amount of hours new hires are working. I retaliated by saying, “youve put me on the schedule 5 days a week 25 to 35 hours a week and are continuing to do so, yet its an availability issue?” she justified it again by bringing up my preference of around 17 hours a week when school was in session. Now that school is out, she has not stuck to those hours, which im fine with, but continues to circle back to this as an availibility issue.
My problem is, why the fuck does it matter? Why the fuck does it matter if I work 15 to 20 hours a week, or even 10? I should still be getting paid. I know how to do everything in the store, excluding management duties, like paperwork, etc. I am among one of the 2 or 3 other people who know how to clean the shake machine. I feel like I have proven my loyalty and committment, and that I shouldnt be penalized for that. I have been working here a goddamn year and new hires are starting at 13, a whole 1.85 more than me. What the fuck do I have to do? Do I have to quit and reapply? What the fuck does she want from me? She says that she can't be throwing 13 dollars an hour around to everybody. On another note, we make 3500 to 5000 dollars a day, but i cant get a measly 2 dollar pay raise? She says it affects labor reports and shit, but I dont fucking care, and I fail to see how that really plays in. I obviously get that it does have an impact, but youre already paying 13? I want what Im worth and im sick of listening and hearing about all these people making more than me while doing nothing. Im among our top 2 workers, if not THE top, and ive been here longer than our entire staff except for one person and shes a manager. It anybody is getting 13 an hour, it shouldnt be new hires, they shouldnt be “throwing 13 an hour around to all the new hires”. instead they should be giving it to people who have been there and have proved their committment.
I saw this one post on this subreddit that said something like “you have to jump around from job to job to make money. Loyalty to a company wont do anything.” Im startijg to believe this more and more.
One last note. I told my boss that I know new hires and previous new hires are making 13 an hour starting pay. Hearing this, she said “they will/can be temrinated for that” which is downright fucking illegal. The shady shit that goes on here is crazy.
I dont know what else to say to her. I live in a small town so there arent many other places to work at besides factory jobs and fast food places. And all the fast food places have worse work environments than Arby's! I like this job better than every other place in this town, but im tired of being used and if I need to go to a factory job, then I will. I want to stay here because its not the same thing every single day like factory jobs but I want what im worth at this place.