This is an old story but I think belongs here.
I started working in a store when I was 16, previous to that I was gutting and prepping fish / working in a butchers (Saturday boy). I was there for about 2+ years, part time while attending local college, I used to help run the toy department, me and a woman who was full time. I would work Saturdays 1-5pm, the worst shift, and also pick up the odd midweek/Sunday, 5-9pm and so on. I was contracted to 4 hours a week, the Saturday 1-5pm.
When college finished this particular year I decided I was going to pursue something else and made it known to my employer that I was available for more hours if they had any. I figured the extra cash would help while I made up my mind what I wanted to do and also it was nearing the Christmas period. I was still attending college but was on less and less days as my assignments were complete.
I was due to work from 5-9pm this day, I ended up quitting as I was refused to swap shift.
I had to attend college from 9-1pm, but we got finished early and I was home by 11:30am. I was told by my Step Dad that he had a spare ticket for a game that evening and wondered if I wanted to go since I was finished college early. The bus would be leaving at 6pm. I contacted my work immediately and asked if I could swap my shift from 5-9pm to 1-5pm or somethig, anything to let me off for this game. I left a message with the Assistant Manager and she said someone would get back to me. at 1:15pm they call to say my boss says no, she needs me as the person I used to work with.. had left recently and nobody could run that department. Utter BS, anyone can put stock on shelves.
So I suck it up, it was a tough one, it was close to the start time I asked for when I called, I hadn't left them time to find cover etc, it was fair enough, just bad luck on my part. So I head off to work for 5pm.
As I started work (we closed at 5:30pm) I'm speaking to one of the girls I work with explaining that I phoned in and tried to get my shift swapped etc. After I explained she tells me that she herself had offered to cover my shift, she said she could do with the extra money and she had only been in since 1 so could easily cover it. I was fuming.
I go straight to my bosses office
Me – “why didn't you let 'x' cover my shift and let me off? I could have gone to that game tonight but for whatever reason, you've stopped me”
Boss – “I need someone here that knows the toy department, I need you need to be available”
Me – “Someone that knows the toy department? It's putting toys on a shelf, it's not rocket science. I'm contracted to 4 hours a week, I go to college, what do you mean 'be available'?”
Boss – “If you can't be available 35 hours a week then you're no use to me”
Me – “Is that right? I'll hand my uniform in tomorrow”
I had management call me a few times asking me to go back and why I'd left etc. I explained that while the current boss was in charge I would never go back. The boss even managed to get their own two friends to quit.
So I had walked out right in the middle of the 'build up to Christmas' and I was in charge of the toy dept since the previous woman I worked with had left. No idea how it turned out for the store.