For the last 2 years I've been working for minimum wage at a pizza shop. I do a bit of everything – the line (making and preparing orders) the register (answering the phone, taking orders and ringing up customers), running the food out to tables and cleaning up.
I work 7 days a week. I do not get any days off, paid or unpaid. If I need to call off whether planned or unplanned I must find a replacement even if I'm sick. My coworkers are wonderful and some of my closest friends which is the only thing I've enjoyed about this job.
I have been verbally and sexually harassed by customers, yelled at, insulted and have been asked extremely personal questions (for example I have a tattoo of my deceased friend's name on my arm and I don't mind being asked about it but when it's a complete stranger asking for details of his death and the line is out the door, then yeah I do mind).
I have received 0 raises since I started here. I bust my ass and get no recognition for this but am held to intense scrutiny over the tiniest mistake. Up until recently my boss kept our tips but I called him out on it. I guess no one's ever done that before.
I've been miserable for a while but was scared of starting over somewhere new. I think the last straw was the day that we were slammed and understaffed. It was just one other coworker and I running the entire store during a lunch rush so it came to a point where we were unable to answer the phone and take new orders. One customer called seven times in a row. I knew it was the same person because we have caller ID. Anyway, I realized that I deserve a job that doesn't make me miserable and told my boss that I was leaving when he came in to close up that night.
I gave him a month's notice for a couple reasons but mostly because I didn't have the energy to deal with the inevitable fallout if I didn't. I feel as though a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Sorry for the long rant 🙂 just wanted to share the good news.