I got a summer temp job through an agency in the local hospital kitchen. I found out about the job because other Indians also work there. I applied even though I had been warned that the manager and even some of the workers there are crazy.
My first two weeks were fine and I got along well with everyone. Although there were some weird incidents like people “jokingly” being mad at me talking to other indian in our native tongue. I'm fluent in English but some of these people aren't, so I find it easier to talk in malayalam, our language to help them out and make working just more efficient. But some of the white workers there got offended by this, however for some reason they would give me the pass and just get mad at the other Indians. They got mad because anytime we spoke in another language they would assume we were talking badly about them. After growing in a 98% white town, ive come to realise this is a telltale sign of a racist. Also like I said i grew up in this town, although this town is known to be a little shady and rough. So I was telling a coworker a story about how when I went to uni in a different city, people would laugh when I said when I was from [my town]. The joke being I'm from a rough town, but this co worker (chloe), laughed and said “oh yeah cos u said ur from [this town] and ur obviously not”. To which I just gave her a blank stare.
Fast forward to my 4th week, not quite a month in yet tho. When we work late shifts we work until 8pm however if our job isn't done, then we have to stay until it is. Last Tuesday I had a late shift and unfortunately we didn't get out until 8 past 8. The people working were me, chloe and another white guy. I did my work and went home with a smile unaware of what was to come. Next day when chloe came in, i saw her talking to a big group of people on the verge of tears. Spoiler alert she was telling people I don't do any work, but I just think its ironic that she was gossiping about me doing no work in a group and slacking off, while I was the only one doing work then. Anyway she comes up to me and says all how she should report me but she won't. How I slow her down everytime and I don't do my share of the work and how she can't work with me. She repeated she should report me but she won't because she isn't a tout. Other people start chiming in saying she should report me to teach me a lesson. Other people who have never had a problem with me until now. I asked her what I did, and she said that me and the other white guy was just standing there while she was doing all the work. I told her I did my work and I was waiting for her to finish her work. In fact I could've gone home, instead I waited for her because she got the hardest job that night and I wasn't gonna leave her alone. The opposite has happened before and she has left me alone before too, just to show her character. She said I had a lot of other jobs that needed done. I asked what I could have done. She replied with “your job”. I said that's not ab answer and she didn't reply. So I asked again, and she said you could've wiped stuff down. I said I did most things down, and what else I could've wiped down. She pointed something out and I said I did wipe it down. Then she switched her answer to me not doing the “small things”. Which conveniently enough she said she can't tell me and I just have to know. Whole ordeal was just bullshit.
Anyway, the reason I kept bringing up the other white guy was cos he was also there. I'm actually friends with him too, we were both done our jobs and both standing there. She even mentions that it was the two of us. Yet she only shouts at me, and later on she only reports me, and I'm the only one who ends up getting a performance meeting. There's still a little more of the story left, it's just other bits of maybe racism and also my meeting with my manager, but I know this post is long so u can stop here if u want to.
Same day after that incident. Chloe gets mad at another indian, because he wouldn't do a job chloe asked him to do. Keep in mind chloe is not a superior to any of us. The indian guy said he can't do it because he's a different section and he isn't allowed to. Chloe just wouldn't believe him, another indian guy comes and sticks up for him, and she still doesn't believe him. She calls over a white guy and asks him, and all of a sudden she believes him when the white guy corroborates.
The next day I get called in for a cleaning shift. I get told nothing and the manager just tells me to go clean the bakery… while it's still in use. I try my best. I wipe all surfaces down, and then disinfect them. I move boxes around and do the same behind those areas. I completely wash and disinfect the sink. I wipe down and disinfect all the machines. I even clean the oven, then open it take out all the oven trays and spend and hour cleaning the inside of it. Keep in mind this is an industrial oven big enough to fit my whole body in comfortably. I was gonna clean the second oven but it was in use. I then brush and mop the floor. I then tell the manager I'm done. She tells me she told me to clean the bakery but she actually wanted a deep clean. I'm thinking why tf didn't u just say deep clean then, and wtf does deep clean even mean. She also said she noticed a lot of crumbs everywhere. I also wanted to say that maybe she shouldn't have made me clean the bakery while it was still in use. I can clean it as many times as I want but if someone uses it after me obviously it's gonna get dirty. She ended off saying it wasn't an adequate job and this a test. Also i should add she got all this from a 3 second glance from the doorway, she didnt even walk in. She then talked about there being a complaint against me. She said she was told I'm a slow worker and I don't do my fair share of the work. I tried to defend myself saying the time we were late it was only by 8 minutes, and I did do all my work. I told her that I asked her what else I could've done and she couldn't even tell me what else I could've done. In fact when I asked her for actual constructive criticism she replied with a “your job” answer. The manager did not care at all and just ignored all this. She then said this was a warning and there will be a performance meeting again in a few weeks, with the obvious implication being they will fire me. Cherry on top I asked my white guy friend about cleaning and he said he usually doesn't even do half of what I did when he's on cleaning.
Anyway I had been going to work sick all of last week, my performance meeting was on Thursday and I took Friday off sick because all of a sudden I lost whatever commitment or dedication I had for that job. The manager called my agency company and I think she complained. As the agency company called me and asked if I was actually sick, they also said they know I'm on a warning and I should work harder. Again all this for someone who hasn't even been working there month.
On the day I was sick there was also a big fight. The white workers got really mad at the indian workers for speaking in malayalam. Now most of the Indian workers are looking to quit. Also funniest part is one of the white people who work there used to live in Japan for 19 years, and he proudly told me that he never needed to learn Japanese cos if u just talk in English to Japanese people they will understand enough. That same person is now getting mad at us for speaking our language.