I work at a small, family owned grocery store. We are always low on cashiers, especially adults to work during the day and teenagers over 16. (Teens 16 years old and older are able to stay until closing time vs the 14/15 year olds who can only work 3 hours a day on school days and can only work until 7pm.)
When we are especially understaffed on a given day, we tend to hear the phrase “nobody wants to work anymore”. I politely make conversation with customers who say this, but it’s really irritating coming from retired elderly people. And especially when our 50+ year old staff members loudly agree with them.
For background, our store doesn’t pay very well and we have a pretty high turnover rate. Cashiers don’t make very much at all, but it’s an okay job for high schoolers. There are absolutely no benefits, even for full timers. The staff that agrees with the complainers have been there a while, are probably paid somewhat decently, and are married which means the spouse most likely supplies health insurance.
We’ve had so many full time adult cashiers that start and quit/no show after a few months that I can’t even remember all their names. Some started or had existing issues with their health and decided to go elsewhere to get the insurance they needed. I totally get and understand why they left, even though it left me as the only cashier sometimes. I couldn’t fault them for needing to look after themselves.
I’m at the point where I need to decide what I’m doing next to provide and take care of myself and my health. I’m one of few who do what I do and I’m frustrated and overworked. I asked off for my birthday (which happens to be over the weekend) so I can do something nice for myself and not have to work for the first weekend in well over a month and I am going to explode if I am denied because they “need me at work”.