Some exposition: I'm 32yo male with 15 years in food service (also did a 2 year stint in the national guard). Diner I worked at closed to stop the spread and never reopened. For two years I've worked overnights at circle k and finally recently came back to an entry level position closing shop at a quick service food joint called Hardee's (like McDonald's but less shitty and more expensive)
In every job I've ever had it seems I'm always picking up someone else's slack- forever doing someone else's job or cleaning up something that was a part of someone else's duties that could've easily been rectified at the time the original job was done.
My belief is that if we're on the same pay grade /job description, we should have a similar workload. I even offer to do the pre-closing cleaning jobs while they stand around and wait for orders so I know I won't have to clean up after what someone else has missed and prevent them from having to do heavy lifting or have to get their hands dirty. This does not bother me in the slightest.
I work with a decently diverse crew and notice some are always on their phones or socializing while standing idly when there are things to do.
As far as I'm concerned – they can do whatever the hell they want, as can I. I would absolutely love to just stand around and play games/ browse reddit when we're slow, but I understand that every minute I spend neglecting my job at the start of shift only puts more pressure at the end of shift on doing more work in less time (get everything done early- you can chill at the end).
The epiphany came when I was trying to relate my workplace philosophy to a fellow coworker who happens to be in high school, we'll call him Bison. He's also the main culprit of playing what I call the “get out of work game” (order comes in and he suddenly has dishes to do [phone], needs to go to the bathroom 3 times per shift [probably phone], taking FORFUCKINGEVER to do anything [intermittent phone]). I used to be a huge proponent of this method until I realized I was only screwing my own peers.
I had just come in from taking cardboard to the recycling where I found several boxes not broken down that I had to break down in order to make space for the work I had to do. I walk in and there are orders waiting to be made. As I'm grabbing gloves I see Bison resting his ass on the sink and Snapchappin'. Last straw. I walk up to the supervisor, mime “Bison & Phone” and start working on the order. Supervisor was very unslick and yelled back
Bison, get off your phone and come help!
Supe had no line of sight. There was no way they could have been certain he was on his phone. He fed them a line about replacing the box of gloves and we finished out the rush.
Manager asked if everything was close to done so she could have him sweep/mop dining room. At this point I knew he knew I snitched on him. I referred to my closing list and mentioned chicken breading station needed to be cleaned now and he offered to do it. He was still cordial in my recollection, but he could have been throwing shade at this point so I (possibly mistakenly) decided to apply some pressure to the social faux pas and as I was passing with a load of dishes brought up the box situation I'd dealt with. I tried to get him on my side by musing about having to do someone else's job on this pitiful minimum wage. He told me about the person that previously held my position (I'd previously heard of him from the alt-closer) sitting and barking orders while sitting on ass playing mobile games and eventually leaving at 0100 (my latest has been 1029) The conversation eventually progressed to my opining the phone issue.
“I'd seriously love to sit and look at my phone but if we get our shit done early w don't have to work as hard at the end and can do whatever we want”
“I'm just from a different generation, thus is what we do. Man I think you just have to care about your job as much as everyone else does.”
He was advising me to take a social cue- in a tactful way I might add, yet simultaneously trying to convince me that I didn't grow up with smart phones or instant gratification.
“I don't care about this job, or any job. The wage we're paid compared to the work we perform isn't fair and it isn't Bossmans fault except for owning the business. We have to look out for each other at the bottom and do our part.”
He laughed as if it were a joke and walked to the hand washing sink.
I peeked around the corner and and related that I wasn't joking. Simple math and Google will show him that cost of living and basic luxuries have skyrocketed as mundane things like alcohol soda and candy have stayed much the same with the epitomal min wage “stagnating”.
2 hours from closing time I see that the dish water should be changed because of the grease floating on the water and he offered to do the dishes.
My standing idea is for one person to make orders while the other performs pre-closing duties (usually fallen to the actual pre-closer [Bison in this situation] but as I mentioned I prefer to take this since I can handle the workload and like to only do it once) and coming to help when the orders stack up.
There was also a moment in the conversation where I mentioned I don't want to be seen as bossy and my delegation skills were sub-par, didn't know where to put it.
Work continued as usual, with a suspicious amount of silence and me once again turning the corner 30 mins later to find him ass-to-sink staring at his device.
I switched in my assertion and said
“OK crunch time. Please do the dishes or let me do them, they have to be done or I'll be here till 1100.”
“idgaf I don't care what you do….”
Same tone but throwing major shade at this point.
The rest went with him passive aggressively appearing eager to ask me what he should do next and me referring to my list and ordering him around (what I was trying to avoid)
Realization trapped me after he left, he thought I liked to work. Thinks I enjoy busting my ass for recognition or satisfaction or something. I have to give it a few days and really tell him how easy it can be. How much fun can really be had if you aren't working in a cockroach ass dive.
Thats it. I am now tired. Love yew.