For context I work in a corporate restaurant. I do something called “Hospitality Lead,” which is essentially an assistant management gig. I also bartend and serve there, as well. Yesterday was labor day, right? A day to commemorate the success of unions and a day off of work, except it’s not.
Yesterday was our busiest day since Mother’s Day. We were on a wait of an hour and a half since we opened, well until 9 o’clock. Everyone was angry they had to wait to eat food for that long. I was cursed out, I was threatened, and I even had to call security for the safety of my employees. All meanwhile, our kitchen drains were so broken that my staff was wading through ankle deep water.
I tried to call my corporate office to get the green light to shut us down (because Im sure the excessive water would’ve been a major health code violation) however their response was, “Today is a $30,000 day. We’re not shutting down the restaurant.”
I’m frustrated. I spent my own money buying pizza and cookies for my staff to SOMEHOW boost morale. It barely worked. The entire time I’m thinking to myself: labor day, huh? The only people who get off of work for this bullshit holiday are corporate desk jockeys who send Excel spreadsheets and check emails for 8 hours in the air conditioning. Meanwhile anyone working these “low grade, low skill,” jobs have to work 10x harder than they usually should. It’s all so ironic that it makes my stomach sick. And the corporate cogs who came in to eat with us were so soulless and foul.
In a lobby with about 25 rioting angry, hungry people I say, “It’s labor day and we are here to service you the best that we can. This isn’t a holiday for us, please have patience as we deal with things beyond what you see.” and someone legitimately replied, “If you want off work you have to earn it.”