So I work for a sociopath, like many owners in the restaurant industry, especially in NYC. I contracted covid as a bartender and was unable to work shifts for a week I was scheduled. I was blamed for this (have text messages of him saying I should give up all my shifts and then just work more next week to make up for it and ‘be nice’ to other bartenders). I’ll preface this by saying I’m the only bartender out of 30 who came back to this place after restrictions started lifting and I haven’t taken a shift off for any reason.
Anyways, I asked him last week to just put me back on my regular shifts for the following week because I will be better then (few symptoms and just don’t want to spread it). I actually was good to work in the middle of the week, I’m vaxxed, but I have a fear of spreading more of this sickness into the world.
What do I get when I wake up this morning? Nothing. No schedule for the week, nada. I ask another bartender if they received a schedule and they did. I was not on it.
Now, I have not formally been ‘let go’. I know this owner is reactionary and vindictive, this is his punishment for me for taking off the week prior. I’m in a good situation though, interviewing at different places and moving along well so I won’t have to work at this bar anymore. However, I still want to be paid. Because I’m not formally ‘fired’, I don’t know if I can apply to unemployment in NYC. Does anyone know if I can? How can owners just not give someone shifts and be like ‘well they aren’t fired’ and dangle that instead of paying unemployment.
This is also why restaurant workers need protection of some sort. Any help in my situation would be really appreciated!