I’ve been in the food industry for 20+ years and finally found a job that caused to you say “fuck it!” I’m also on mobile, so sorry.
I started working in the prep department of this cafe setting a few months ago and was told a few important things upon being hired.
“It’s a two person job, you’d be working independently from the cafe, you’ll be in charge of your own breaks.”
I started by training with “Penelope” and after the first few days things were looking pretty good. We got along well, she worked damn hard and I thought I had kept up well and we were able to get a lot done and leave feeling pretty good about the day.
Fast forward a few weeks and Penelope is scheduled to work with me as usual except that as she’s such a strong worker she gets pulled up front a day or two a week and in her place they’d send whomever was the weakest/they didn’t want to deal with to help me. I didn’t think too much of it as I just pushed through it and was still able to get things done.
To help set the scene I was one of 5 “adults” and the remaining staff of 25 or so ranged in age of 15-23. A few weeks later and Penelope has been permanently moved up front and I’m left holding my own with whatever help is given to me. While I appreciated the help it’d be up to 3 “kids” with me with no experience and I’d have to train them along with trying to stay as efficient as I could, and they’d constantly be pulled away leaving me with half finished projects I now had to complete. It didn’t take long for the other adults to come back and berate me for not rotating their breaks properly (I had know idea who I’d be working with or for how long, on any given day).
I essentially became the “manager” of all of the prep despite not having a single conversation or pay raise towards it. As it was assumed that because I was an adult it’d be expected to keep everyone in line as if I was their parent. I don’t work for free.
So I woke up this morning and sent and email and text to my two supervisors saying I wasn’t coming in. I do feel a bit guilty but also know I would’ve walked out before much longer. And now I’m going to go enjoy some sun.