I work as a manager and dietary technician in the kitchen for an assisted living facility. I’m 22 years old and accepted a management position in order to make more money. I thought I was doing a good thing for myself while helping take better care of residents by doing this but I now realize I am being asked to participate in behavior that contradicts my philosophy and morals.
I was naive enough to believe my boss telling me no when I asked if this just meant that I was responsible for covering shifts when short-staffed. I also did not realize I was agreeing to what was just a few months ago two different job descriptions. One being the management of the dietary aides schedules and duties, the other being the overseeing of providing food consistent with the residents’ dietary needs. I was unaware that last year before a massive turnover in November, two separate wages were budgeted for these responsibilities. I’m also told that my pay is coming from the company’s management budget now as opposed to the kitchen’s budget when I was a dietary aid; however, on my shifts I am scheduled as just a regular dietary aid with extra responsibilities. So even though my pay is allegedly from a separate budget, I am only scheduled with two aides. On my days off 3 aids are scheduled and no tech/manager is present, and those responsibilities are managed by my boss (executive chef) or more often simply don’t get taken care of and fall onto me.
As prices rise and the employees I manage wage’s remain the same, tensions rise. Most of my shifts involve call offs and lateness that I see as legitimate and understandable. Many of my shifts are just straight of scheduled short. On top of that there are about half as many employees scheduled as when the facility opened with a similar resident census. Upper management tells us we are going to hire more staff, but that never happens because the wage isn’t competitive and people quit faster than the company can keep up.
The point is I’m over it, but I am still interested in helping to organize the kitchen against the company. I am working on getting a new job, but before I go I want to help these people I’ve come to care deeply about. I understand my position in management prevents me from organizing a union, but I wanted to ask what I can do. I am even willing to step down from my management position to facilitate it. I live in a conservative right to work state, but nearly all of my coworkers/staff have told me if I leave they will follow me out the door. I believe these people need my help, I just need help figuring out exactly what my role in that is. Any advice/criticism is welcome.