Worked at a small bar/restaurant for about 6 years.
The place is a pretty small dive in a pretty small town. Our town went from 4 bars (I worked at two) to one when the pandemic hit. So this place actually made out pretty good throughout.
Boss applied for PPE, and instead of investing it into the business, decided to open ANOTHER place in another town. Some went into the current place, but not nearly enough to fix the fairly run-down conditions of the place.
I got promoted to manager, and was supposed to run the old place when the new place opened.
Now, my boss is a notoriously cranky individual. And had implemented some pretty unfriendly policies towards the customers, that I didn't agree with.
Long story short, we got in an fairly heated argument about me wanting to make some changes to such policies when she left and I was running things. Changes that the rest of the staff were totally on board with, but they didn't want to rock the boat, as like I said, the boss could be quite prickly.
I literally asked my boss what the reasoning behind these policies were, and was told “I own this place, and that's the way I want it. Don't argue with me.”
I told them “just give me your reasoning. Help it make sense, and I'll shut up. If you want me running this place when you open your new place, then I feel like I have a right to know. Not to be treated like a child, and told 'because I said so, that's why'”
Few weeks go by, and I show up to work, my boss meets me at the door with my check, and tells me that it's not working out.
6 years, man. I've had that boss over to my house on holidays.
Now, as all the other bars in town didn't survive the pandemic, I'm looking at 30-50 mile commutes each way for the next gig.
Now, here's the rub. I know damn well my boss has taken quite a few liberties with payroll and taxes. And with using the PPE money to start another business, instead of improving the current one, and, oh I don't know, paying employees more. An audit would be their worst nightmare.
I could sink the business. I know it. But I can't bring myself to do it. Not only would it feel petty, it would fuck the employees over. People just trying to get by.
Fuck work, man. I just wanted to improve the damn business. And stop policies that alienated customers. 6 years, and I was always there. I always covered shifts, always did whatever needed doing. I knew that place inside and out. Had great reviews. Great rapport with customers. Now I hate going into the grocery store, or wherever. Run into customers who all wanna know why I'm not there, tell me how much they miss me, ask me what I'm gonna do.
Guess next time I'll just keep my head down, do the bare minimum, and keep my mouth shut.