To start: you should know a couple things. One thing is that I am a restaurant server and for three years at my current job, I have been an exemplary employee – never late, always helps out, tons of compliments, etc. The second thing you should know is I have a dual diagnosis of major depressive disorder complicated by alcohol dependence.
So for eight months I was working the daytime mid shifts. These shifts are known to suck because all the other staff leaves to their other jobs and management dicks around doing computer work in the office. I signed up for a busy couple hours – I did NOT sign up to do five people's jobs (server, host, busser, runner, barista… sometimes even chef) and I sure as fuck wasn't managing the restaurant for them.
For eight months, I was asking for the help I needed and they wouldn't even do the simplest, stupidest things, like have servers check out with me (we pool tips; that means they should be making sure the guests are taken care of before leaving). Finally, I told them I wouldn't do it anymore without adequate compensation. Did I get it? No. Did I get the help I'd been asking for? No. Did they get their heads out of their asses, realize this part of the shift was running terribly, and actually MANAGE to fix it? Of course not.
Instead, they took me off those weekends altogether. And despite having open availability, I had only two shifts left. There were shifts available – “favorites” were working doubles all the time, and we're not supposed to schedule doubles if there's an alternative – so the only reason NOT to give me a full four shifts is retaliation.
ELEVEN HOURS. That was my schedule. I got an eviction notice, couldn't pay my bills, and tl:dr got into a deep depression and a drinking relapse that put me in the hospital from June 1 to 5. I'm only starting to feel normal-er this weekend after two weeks and quite a lot of prescription drugs.
Now here's the fun part. First off, my doctor put me on disability for a month right away (she offered two months, even). So I don't have to go back. Second, reducing someone's schedule in response to a disability w/o their permission is a SERIOUS ADA violation. It's right there on those posters we all have in the back of the house.
Another tidbit you wouldn't expect: I know how to do law. I worked through the channels and HR and I'm up to the demand letter. I'm asking for $30K. Not joking, this is completely legal.
The moral of the story? No matter how good an employee you are or how long you've been at a place, don't EVER expect your workplace to be on your side.
thank you for coming to my TED talk