This happened a couple years ago, but it still feels relevant, so here’s the story:
I was 18, looking for a new job that would make me some more money than my last one & treat me better than some of my coworkers + customers did (For context, I worked at a Chinese restaurant doing pickup orders. Made $7.25 an hour and was also never paid for training.) So, I talked to my mom and she suggested I try being a waitress at a restaurant. I applied to one next to my house (it rhymes with Tuby Ruesday) and was asked to come in, blah blah blah, was shortly hired after the interview.
They made me a hostess because I had never worked as a waitress before (or a hostess) & once I was there long enough/knew the ropes, I could switch over to waitress. My first three days of work were training.
This is where it starts to get bad. Three days of training was not nearly enough time to learn everything I had to learn. Between trying to understand the basics of using the ancient computer they wanted me to use after seating every table, and going to the back to let the kitchen staff know I just sat someone and everything else they asked of me to do, I needed more time to get used to the work enviroment. But after my third day of being assisted with training, I came in and was surprised to hear that I was going to be completely alone at the front this time. Obviously, it turned out bad. I wasn’t ready, screwed up with the computer several times, had a difficult time seating people where the servers wanted me to sit them, (not to mention every time I would do this incorrectly, a specific server and a few others that would give me the BIGGEST stink eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.) and I was literally having an anxiety attack until the other hostess finally came in and helped me out.
This is the worst part. So on the schedule when it says your shift ends at 9:30, that doesn’t mean you get to leave at 9:30. You clock yourself out at 9:30, and then you have to do your “tasks” that take about an hour and a half to complete, and THEN you get to leave. But you aren’t getting paid for doing the tasks. You’re expected to clock out, then you do your tasks, and you leave when you’re finished. These tasks included me cleaning BOTH the men’s and the women’s bathrooms, restocking napkins, menus, silverware, etc at the front and near the bathrooms, wiping down the windows and doors at the front, as well as separating silverware in the kitchen.
I left after about a week. I couldn’t take it. I had a feeling I was being taken advantage of, despite my mom telling me everything I said before was normal. I remember leaving the restaurant on what was my last day and just crying, feeling so defeated and stressed out from not knowing how to do anything correctly.. as well as feeling hated by some of the servers and knowing I wasn’t being paid for cleaning up whatever green/brown substance was all over the mirror in the men’s bathroom, I had enough.
My mom and my step-father were super disappointed in me. I guess because being a hostess is considered more of a “grown up” job and I just couldn’t put myself through another day in that work environment like they wanted me to. But it was too anxiety-inducing. I understand as well that it can take some time with new jobs to get used to everything and fully understand what’s expected of you, but I was literally not being paid for work I was doing. Fast forward a couple years later, that restaurant is completely gone now in the location I worked at. So, guess I made the right choice in the end.
I was reminded of the experience again and thought I would share. Fuck those guys.