Long time lurker here. I am 21 yo and i work in a beautiful restaurant($$) in Canada. It’s been a year now and i see everything falling appart. Everybody in the kitchen was promised 40h/week but we are working 30h/week, shortstaffed and have to put double the efforts for the place to keep rolling.
We are now only 5 (we were 9 when i arrived) and in 1 1/5 months will be 3.
People are leaving because we are not paid enough for the quality of our work. I did not go to culinary school yet so I’m paid 17$/h and my co-cookers are paid around 22$/h. The chef is a bipolar, arrogant, young, clueless and inexperienced 25 yo who asked to be chef when the last one had to go back to France.
Summer is starting and I’m gonna work about 60h/week because my chef is too proud and cannot accept anyone who is not perfect.
Last week, we had a busy night and i asked a waitress how much tip did she get. She told me that she made 640$ for her alone. I could not believe it.
I’m still learning in the business but I’m actually a great employee who puts the extra effort because I’m really passionate about cooking and I’m good at it.
I wanted to quit last week because I wanted to follow my fellow coworkers but at the same time, I’m thinking to myself, maybe this is an opportunity for me to ask for things that couldn’t be asked before. I would like to rediscuss my salary and tip being shared with the cooks.
Am i being an a** for not following my coworkers into quitting and trying the scrape off a little it of money from the owner’s and the waitresses?
I legitimately do not know what to do…