I'm a 19-year-old trapped in a soul-sucking corporate restaurant job as a line cook. Today, I was scheduled for a grueling double shift from 11:00AM to 10:00PM, as usual. We were severely understaffed with just three of us in the kitchen, as usual. We were each responsible for two stations and the orders were pouring in.
I was doing my best to keep up, but I had to work at a slower pace to ensure that I didn't mess up the orders or get overwhelmed. Keep in mind I am only 3 weeks into this job, so I am still learning and trying to get better. Additionally, I have been scolded before for messing up orders, due to it being busy and understaffed. So what was the solution? To just take my time, but quickly, to prevent messing up orders or becoming angry.
Despite this, my manager, who was also on the line, singled me out just 50 minutes into my shift and sent me home, claiming that I wasn't moving quickly enough. This not only inconvenienced my other coworker, but also shows how out of touch my manager is with the reality of the situation. Understaffing is a huge problem in our restaurant, and it's absurd that my manager would punish me for trying to maintain a level of quality in the food we serve.
So as I am typing this in the comfort of my own home, while there are two workers on the line working their ass off on a busy Friday afternoon. What an absolute idiot.
I swear to God, problematic scheduling and idiotic, bootlicking managers are the bane of my life.