I (23m) have been working at a “family-run” Italian market now for 8 months. I know that these locally-owned businesses can be just as bad as corporate ones, but I had hoped for better than I got. What I found within a week of working there, is a massive array of labor law violations with blatant disregard for the people working there.
The first sign came when a week into my being there, I was publically shamed with a photo attached to the pin board. On it was a threat of “time off my clock”. I was not provided with a lunch break, and I work from mid-afternoon to 10 pm, so I have to eat at the register when there are no customers around. I had just graduated college, having gotten my bachelor's degree in what comes down to a mix of sociology and psychology. I know realistically, it was just a matter of her underestimating someone in a rough patch, but her non-plus attitude toward me bringing issues to her really put me off. I have all of this photographed lol.
Well, that all changed when we got our “Christmas Bonus”. With it came a letter that essentially admitted to paying a large number of employees below minimum wage, and said that with the raise of minimum wage, she would be “looking to let people go.” Then things got scary. I have had an unidentified medical issue for a while and have a note from my doctor allowing me to sit when I need to. When I started working there, there was a chair up front for sitting down when customers weren't around. But, customers and my coworkers complained so much they took my chair. In fact, if I sit down at all on the clock, she will remove the time from our pay block. Not remove time in upcoming shifts, but actively edit out time clocks to remove the time we sat. She has done it before, and I have a note proving she has.
Needless to say, I sent some emails about it. Flash forward to now, and she has lost her mind because one of the workers told her that removing time is illegal. She fought back that she “doesn't pay people to not work”. She also has made up a bunch of new straight barely legal rules to punish us. I know for a fact she also is investigating who reported her to the 3 letter agencies. I don't care though. I am leaving, and I know for a fact most of the night shift is leaving as well. She has completely pissed off all the reliable workers. I am getting another part-time job and am intending to sink into more debt by going back to school to get my master's. So, there is my vent and story. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it. If feel bad because this is a genuinely once nice place and a good local restaurant. Now it's all food poisoning and cutting corners.