I have a regular career, but on the weekends, I work a side gig in the hospitality industry. That gig comes with the normal BS you would see in any establishment. I've been working in that industry for the entire time I had been in college (15 years/6 degrees-certifications) so I know the ins and outs of how bad management normally operates. I'm a professional, and I approach any job I do with the same focus, but the one thing I won't do is make management's problem my problem.
When management screws up, they will usually try their best to point the finger at someone else for the bad reviews, etc. This particular incident was atrocious. We had a reservation for eighty people at the time of opening, but management failed to communicate and coordinate, so we opened with two servers and a bartender. I learned my lesson from previous experiences, and therefore I make sure that if I'm called into the office for a one on one, I record the conversation on my cellphone.
The shift went horribly to the point I was shocked that one of the managers didn't get sacked. It was that bad. At the end of the shift, I was brought into the office and berated for not being fast enough to get to each table as though it was my fault we were short staffed.
The main disagreement between us, was how we viewed “teamwork.” My notion of teamwork is that each person has a job to do, and we do that job individually to get the result we seek at a team. To use a metaphor, if I were a forward in soccer, it was my job to score goals, not make saves since that was the job of the goaltender. His idea of teamwork would have been like I was there to score goals, but if the goaltender wasn't up to par, it was my responsibility to make saves because we were a “team.”
I always record my conversations with managers when in the office to check out and collect tips, and one day, out of the blue, the manager in question asked me if I had ever had sex with any of my students during my career. So after getting berated, I brought out my phone and played that conversation to him. His face went white… and I basically said, “Don't ever disrespect me again or I'll send this to ownership.”
I enjoy the job, and I make some decent money on the side, but the lesson I wanted to share with this sub is that management can be cordial, but they are not your friend, and they will blame you for their mistakes. It's important to create leverage for yourself, because they will try and screw you over if they think doing so will save their jobs.