Why is it legal for businesses to run on objectively short staff, and not compensate their staff appropriately for the extra work expected of them? I have a new manager. And honestly, he's kinda great. He admits all the problems of the place. But he still expects people to make it work until he can fix it and hire more people, and I just fundamentally disagree. I don't understand why it's normal for a business to expect its workers to be flexible and stay late and do extra work because some “asshole” quit…They're saving money they would otherwise pay that person, to expect me to do two peoples jobs. Why is there no expectation that money go to the person they expect to eat the cost? I just don't understand why this is normal and why people can't see how fcked it is. I hate crabs in a bucket. I hate how my coworkers get mad bc I use my vacation time, bc the top down is inflexible. Why can employers expect you to be flexible, but not be flexible themselves? Why can they just tell me to stay an extra two hours, and I'm problematic if I say no bc I want to go home? I'm judged for not picking up an hour and a half long shift, that's even outside my listed availability, because the place is so short staffed. I feel like it should be obvious this is inequitable and wrong. It's not like I can just demand my employer pay me for a few more hours to “be flexible” to my needs. Why am I a “team member” when it suits them, but a slave otherwise, and then a stranger when my needs are higher? It's fucked! I really needed to rant. I feel like Jonah in the giver, seeing color in a black and white world where everyone else thinks I'm crazy for seeing the most obvious thing. Am I wrong? I hate this norm.