(A city in TX) only has 1 Jamba (no longer called Jamba Juice, just Jamba,) left, all other locations closing during the pandemic, this one should’ve as well. I got hired back in March, 1st was the DM asking to become a SL. While working there, I faced some horrible conditions. There’s too much to go into at the moment, I want to get to the root issue.
The manager is allowing the use of rotten produce. The fresh juices such as purely orange, carrot, twist, fresh ginger shots have possibly been made with rotten produce. Same with the bowls, blueberries and strawberries. If you went during the dates of July 1st through July 16th, I am more than sure you have been served soiled fruit. Management made us stay open with no working AC. It was hotter inside than outside, our freezer had melted everything that was supposed to be frozen. Our AGM, GM, and DM all allowed this to happen. At the time I was a team member, didn’t know what to do. I did not sell any juice between that time, same with bowls. I got lots of angry customers because of this, I was not going to allow the sale of rotten produce.
The well-being of the community matters especially with us being located next to a cancer center for kids and a children hospital. I started taking pictures when I could. We weren’t allowed on our phone so I dont have many, but here is a orange that had been in a jam basket (this is where we store fruit that is ready to use.) I have no way of knowing how much produce had been in other baskets, rotten, taken to FOH and used. I started telling customers that we didn’t have any fresh produce to avoid selling it.
I suffer from PMDD, stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It has affected me since I started puberty, and still eats me to this day. Last Friday (Now as a shift lead,) I was informed that it would just be me and one other crew member to close, not allowing me to delegate my co worker to have a break. I called my manager, & got upset that it has taken me until I got to the point of feeling overwhelmed to contact her, but it’s only me and one other person working, I had no time to even step in the back, but did offer to come in and help.
By 7:30, the store was a mess, everything was out of stock, there were no more replacements as we went through the stock, I got nervous that I would get in trouble for staying past 9:30 to complete all required tasks. I have never cried at a job, but Friday was the first. I called my manager, and let her know that we couldn’t keep up with the demand anymore, I needed to close to at least restock and then open. So that’s what I did. When she arrived, I heard two loud “you are not allowed to do this, we are not closed,” twice. She came in the back and asked me what happened and I let her know, she then asked me what could be done in the future to stop this from happening, I gave her suggestions and she allowed me to leave. I called my ride.
Waiting in the back, my co worker (who I helped get the job) came in the back and said that my manager said I was over exaggerating the situation, and asked him to go over everything that happened. He replied “I felt that she(I) explained to you the issue already but I guess I can do it again.” To which she didn’t take seriously. This enraged me. She expected me to just go home and come in the next day knowing that she had no care in the world about the struggles we deal with on a day to day bases after only having two people to close repeatedly. I spoke with her about the statement to which she talked to me as if I was a child, laughed when I told her all the illegal things that were happening behind the scenes, she proceeded to pretended to not know about the previous times I had told her about rotten produce. I was told to leave the building immediately. I handed over my keys, was told to take all my things out of the store, my locker and to go. So I did. And now I’m finally able to post this without the fear of getting fired. Like most of the USA, the price of living has tripled, and I don’t have another job lined up. I did all I could do while I was there, and im sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. I was scared of losing my only source of income and I did what I could do as a shift lead.