Today was supposed to be the last day I worked before my unpaid “maternity leave” at my food service job so I wanted to take the opportunity to rant about the absolute bullshit they have put me through over the last 5 months.
I started as a manager at this pizza place around October last year and right off the bat had issues with staffing and lack of management. Even though I was 3 months pregnant I kept up with all other leaders and was easily one of the best people at my job. We switched over management on New Year’s and even though I liked our new GM, it seemed as soon as she stepped up things just got worse. We had 3 managers quit, leaving only 3 of us and the GM. We also had several staff quit. Don’t blame them but at that point we should’ve began hiring. Our district leader also refused to let us schedule more than a certain amount of hours even though it was like clock work that 2-3 people would call out at any given shift.
Often I would be running a shift, 5/6/7 months pregnant with just me and one other person. On a Friday/Saturday. With multiple $1000 hours. Even the slow weekdays turned to hell with lack of staff. Then came the nights where I was expected to close the store completely by myself-we closed at 11, closing included lifting heavy objects, getting on my hands and knees to clean under equipment, bending over, using chemicals, and leaving the store spotless. Our GM inspected closes every morning and if a leader left a shitty close, they would be written up. There were multiple nights where I would be locking up well past 1:30am after closing all by myself.
It was also well known that after the end of February, I would be stepping down as manager (and taking a $2 pay cut). Did that stop me being put in a position of being overworked? Absolutely not. It got worse. Not only was I being made to run shifts still, run around, lift heavy objects and step in when people called out, but now I was doing it for significantly less money. Our GM has been worked thin too, in her defense, but even so she will not step in when we need help. We are expected to work at full capacity with only 2/3 people on the line. There’s also been occurrences where she has been called into help during chaos only to tell us she is drunk or hungover and can’t come in. This is how it’s been for the last month of me working.
I am now 33 weeks pregnant, my body is worn, I can’t move like I used to, my baby is taking it out on me and frankly this shit hurts. This weekend has been the worst. Multiple call outs, sales have gone over, and stock/prep has been fucked. This was supposed to be my last day, I was supposed to take it easy and stay in one place. My leader called to tell me 2 people have called out leaving just me and her working. She is supposed to do prep for the day, so that left me running the whole line (what should be ran buy 3+ people) all by myself. I should also mention that my leader herself is covid positive and was still expected to work, and one of my called out coworkers just had stitches in her hand yesterday. So even if we didn’t have any call outs, our GM was expecting someone injured, someone covid positive, and someone 8 months pregnant to run the store.
I called out. And am planning on not returning after I have my daughter. There’s so much more they have done that I consider fucked up. But I would have to write a book.
TL;DR While pregnant and working I have been expected to overexert myself, working alone on late night shifts, and lifting heavy items. GM and upper management have not stepped in to help our drowning store. After being told to run a store alone with someone covid positive at 8 months pregnant, I called out on my last day.