I just need to get this off my chest because my job is currently making me change my entire lifestyle and I hate it.
I work for a well-known cafe chain in the US who is known for their 'clean' food (but is immortalized online for being overpriced hospital food). Im on the night shift, which is a single-person job per cafe. I make all the breads and pastries that get sold that day, and will gladly toot my own horn about the level of quality I put into my work. This has been my occupation for about 4 years now and I love it. Since I am responsible for myself there I get as many breaks as I want and am able to watch youtube/streaming stuff nonstop. As someone who hates interacting with others, its a dream job. Up until recently.
Corporate decided to give us a notice that all 3rd shift employees will be switched to 2nd shift starting April 1st, no exceptions. It was about 3 months in advance so legally they couldnt fire us but gave us enough time to get another job if we couldnt make the change. The reason? They want customers to be able to smell the bread and cookies we're baking to promote the idea of “Freshness” throughout the cafe, when the truth is we will be baking for the NEXT day.
Its swapping from baking stuff at night to sell in the morning, to baking the previous day and bagging it all to sell the next day. That means all of the fresh food will actually be a day older than usual. Ass-backwards move if you ask me, but who am I to tell the customers who want a fresh cookie “oh sorry… this is for tomorrow. You can have this cookie from yesterday though!”
The other issue is the fact that most of us 3rd shift employees have night jobs because of other daytime responsibilites. My husband and I moved states to be able to take care of his disabled parents as they get into old age, so we're frequently helping them during the day. I know others who go to school or have a second job before this shift and now they have to quit because of the schedule change. We have people who have worked here 15+ years and have to quit because their routine just doesnt work like that. This decision feels like it was made purely for corporate profit instead of thinking AT ALL about the employees. Theres no compensation, no raises, no accounting for the sudden shift in commute. My 17 min drive will turn into a 45 min drive becasue I will have to go through the center of the city at peak traffic hours. Its a nightmare to think about.
So now Im at the crossroads of miraculously finding a new job that will give me just as many hours for the same pay (to keep up with bills) OR change my entire day routine and when I will be available to help my in-laws. My husband and I both work this job so its not like one of us can keep the other afloat while we look for a new job. Its a do-or-die situation and my superiors looked at me and said “Well I didnt make this change 🤷 it comes from corporate up top.”