So this post will be long, I apologize for that, but I need to get this off my chest. I started work for this small coffee company consisting of two managers and three employees back in July. I left the job I was working at the time for this one which at the time I thought was a good move. When the job actually started I only ended up working a total of five days with them. On day three out of five I get a phone call from the female manager asking if I “had a problem with her and the way she manages” I was really confused because I personally am an anxious person and had never brought anything of that sort up with her or anyone else for that matter. She goes on to say that she had heard from other employees that I had a problem with her and that I didn't like the way she worked. I told her I never said those things and actually I was quite concerned that someone was saying these things about me after only a couple days. Her only response was “don't be concerned” and the call ended shortly after that. Fast forward to day five and I am closing the trailer alone, everything is going smooth until I go to close the window in the front. The trailer had a huge sliding glass window that you could open to greet customers and then had a cover of sorts that swung down over the glass and latched in front of the window. They had been having issues with the latch prior to me even working there and the girl that had trained with me literally told me to “close it hard with force so you can latch it” I went to shut it with some force (I am in no way super strong, I am a short female) and the next thing I hear is BOOM CRRRAASSSHHH from inside the trailer itself. I run inside to see what the damage is and see that one of the two glass panels that make up the front window has tipped inwards and shattered all over the place. After the initial shock and realizing I could have been inside and gotten seriously injured, I call the male owner who then proceeds to make me stay to clean up every last piece of glass all by myself. The next day I receive a text message from the male owner stating that since this glass shattered they cannot operate for the time being but are offering shifts at their main store for those who could do it. At the time I did not have my license but was very close to getting it so I stated this and offered to still work at least on the weekends because I really needed the money. The male owner very clearly said that this would be ok and that is all I heard about it, Friday rolls around and I text the male owner to confirm that I was still coming in Saturday, the only response I receive is “No, we have Saturday covered” I'm thinking to myself oh, okay maybe next week then and just let them know to keep me updated in the meantime which they said they would. I hear absolutely nothing more from them for maybe two more weeks until I get a text one day stating “we are still in a holding pattern at our main store due to short staffing, we don't know when the trailer will be repaired” I thought well, that's no problem because I just happened to get my license and I was excited to drive! I let them know as much and the immediate response? “Oh no we're full at the main store” I kind of just sat there for a moment trying to figure out what happened or if they just thought I was stupid, I'm not sure. I remained professional and formal and let them know that after a month of no correspondence whatsoever and then them saying they are “needing people and not needing people '' was too much for me considering I had bills and rent piling up as I waited and that I had to try and find employment elsewhere. I was met with a “we understand '' type response and everyone went about their business.Two weeks later after that I received a new message from the male owner stating they have a check for me at their main store. I drove myself the same day to go and get the check and even let him know I was going there to pick it up. The check was dated from the last day I worked and they had held it all this time, but I let that slide. Hours later after I get home, I receive a final text message from the male owner asking me to come in the next day at a time that is convenient for both of them to “sign some paperwork” and return their uniforms, I was absolutely fuming, I had been there earlier that day and no one had ever bothered to mention any of that then. So I let them know how unprofessional I thought they were, how awful I thought it was that they left me hanging for weeks on end without a job and I let them know that I wasn't about to waste more gas driving back on their time to do more things for them. The only response was “we are sorry you feel that way”. Now, you'd think this was the real end of it, but if it was then I think it would bother me a whole lot less. A few weeks after our final interaction they took to social media, they revealed that they had sold the trailer altogether after some “soul searching” which I am sure was more like financial searching, they were also very quick in the comments to tell the tale of woe about how they “had an employee who broke their window”. How “they offered every single employee work at the main store and how all that wanted to work did”. Basically painting this fictitious picture of a person who carelessly shattered the glass and then said “no I don't want to work for you anymore, I quit” which never ever happened. I have proof of the opposite but the site they have posted to I cannot post on, they have now gone as far as personally messaging people I know who have defended me to try and tell “their side” and imply that I am lying, they have also told this same story when I tried to have it looked into as well. I wish I could do more in this situation, I've tried being passive and not doing anything but they keep doing things that are extremely frustrating and I feel like I can't fully defend myself. I also hate thinking that they sit there at the end of the day thinking they successfully threw me under the bus and have gotten away with clean hands. Anyways thank you so much for reading all of this, since I can't defend myself elsewhere it is very therapeutic to be able to type it all out here.
tl;dr:
Worked for a small coffee shop trailer for five days, the front window broke when I was working all alone. Owners left me in the dark for almost a month as to whether I was still employed or not while I had rent and bills to pay. I finally was forced to look for another job, now employers are on the internet and other places saying I broke the window on purpose and implying that I quit because I didn't want to work, I have no way of properly defending myself so I'm venting on here.