Back in the early 2000s, I worked at a California mom-and-pop furniture store for three years, part and eventually full-time, for $7~ an hour (never got a raise). Anyways, the boss/owner treated us great one day, and shit the next day. It was an odd relationship. Being young and impressionable and just thankful for a job, I actually liked him. It's not until I look back at my time there that I realized what a POS hack he actually was.
He inherited the store from his dad, who even in his old ass retirement age loved to meander around the store and complain that his son was not making his employees work hard enough. The dad would slam one of his closed fist into the palm of his other hand, and shout, “[boss' name], YOU have to run this place with an IRON FIST!”
Anyways, trucks would always deliver furniture and would always show up during our lunchtime, so without even asking us, he would say, “Boys– truck will be here soon, so I'm going to go buy you food to eat while you unload the truck.” He would come back with a bunch of cheap ass Taco Bell beef tacos or cheap bean and cheese burritos that we would eat as we unloaded the truck. Honestly, we were super grateful for it. We thought we were getting a great deal. He never paid us overtime for working through our lunch, and we never thought anything of it.
It was back-breaking work. Fuck all you assholes who buy double-end recliner sofas and live in an upstairs apartment. You know who you are!
Anyways, looking back… all my affinity for him as my first boss has faded. He took advantage of naive kids and profited from it.