I hope this belongs here, apologies if it doesn't. I wasn't sure if this is Malicious Compliance or AntiWork so I'm guessing. Here goes.
Back in August of 2021, I was working at a Denny's and the hotel next door (same parking lot) was getting ready to open and looking for staff. I had never worked in hospitality but 10 years of customer service experience got me in the door. Long story short, I was hired, their very first employee at that property, and I was excited! I went from $15 to $16 an hour and I was so happy!
At first, like all toxic relationships, everything was great! I was doing full-time since they weren't fully staffed and was making 20 hours in OT a week! I was not complaining about the paycheck. Then things began to change.
Our turnover rate was horrific! We'd hire new people, my hours would change, and then they'd all quit before I could even meet them! I'd be stuck covering! I was the Night Auditor so I always worked nights but if there was no day coverage I would be called in. My manager, M, was the one training them and my two other coworkers, E and L were AM shift and PM shift. We all talked a lot and got close. L quit back in March. E quit in April. We were all a great team and got shit done no problem! But I learned a few things from them over time and most of it was stuff M was doing.
L couldn't get a single day off, not even to take her baby to get his shots or spend her anniversary with her husband! She was constantly talked down to by the owner and treated like she was stupid despite her being a supervisor. She was also underpaid, as a supervisor she was supposed to be making $20-25 an hour according to her contract. She was making $16.50, the same as me and E. She has the check stubs to prove it despite M telling me what L made. We were given a .50 pay raise for sticking with the hotel after the high turnover. Honestly, that alone was insulting. Not even a full freaking dollar raise, but whatever. She even caught M sleeping with one of the long-term stays and some other long-term stays complained about the crazy loud s3x they were having! M would constantly mess with L's schedule and treat her so cruelly I caught her crying more than once.
E was used as security and was constantly treated badly by management. He was also making bank with all the overtime her was scoring but it came at a price. His back and neck began really hurting him from all the housekeeping he was doing, despite him being front desk. They made him chase people off the property and refused to hire security for us at all. They wouldn't give him time off for his doctor's appointments. His wife is disabled and he had to take her to appointments too. They still refused to give him time off. Not only did they overwork him but they let guests verbally and even physically harass him and if he would have fought back they would ignore him. They had before when a guest smacked him, twice.
They used to have such a high turnover rate that they would hire three or four people at once, adjust the schedule, and suddenly I went from 40+ hours a week to 30! I would take a huge financial hit when that happened and then everyone would quit and suddenly I'm back to being exhausted. When it got really bad I was doing doubles. I would do the 12-8am shift and then have to be back for the 4pm-12am shift. I lived across town with no car so I had to take the bus both ways. If I wanted sleep, I had to beg for rides or take Lyft, which are damn near impossible to get in my area thanks to Rona. She knew this and still had me do it. I was exhausted 24/7. I was getting no social life or time with my honey and bestie. My eating habits derailed. I got so many gray hairs from stress and lack of sleep. We weren't allowed to sit down either so my feet were bleeding in my shoes at one point! My honey took many phone calls from me crying and angry. It got even worse when L and E left for another hotel because then all the stuff M made them do was shoved on me!
I begged for a raise for months with the emails and verbal requests to prove it. They denied me every single time. They once denied me because I refused to break up a domestic in our parking lot where the HEAD OF HR called me and told me she swore this guy was beating his gf/wife and she wanted me, 5'2 and built like the Michelin man with 0% intimidation factor, to go break up the fight. She wanted me to tell them to leave, not to tell him to stop hurting her, but to tell them to GTFO. When I said I wasn't comfortable doing this she guilted and shamed me making it seem like I wasn't a feminist and I was okay with other women getting abu3ed! My honey picked me up the next day after I was written up for this and I sobbed in his shoulder for hours.
So, a month after E left I was neck deep in job interviews and he called me saying he'd told his boss about me and to come for an interview! I showed up, and low and behold there was the GM and L! L was the housekeeping supervisor and E was AM shift at the desk. They basically hired me before I even showed up and I quit the other hotel at the beginning of May. E also told me he had gone to a lawyer and had started a lawsuit against the other hotel. He asked if I wanted in and I said yes. I'm talking with the lawyer today and will be suing them for everything they did. Besides the treatment we were definitely not fairly compensated by any means and I know they didn't give us the right amount of OT. We also were not allowed breaks or lunches which violated California law. There's a lot more and I might make a second post or tell more stories if you guys want but this whole situation was awful and easily the worst place I ever worked, and I worked at Walmart!
If you guys think we're wrong or have no case please tell me cause I've never sued anyone before. I will provide updates if you want.