Small update to this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/z0psv4/little_story_of_my_own/
Recently I got a text out of the blue from this employer saying that they had a severe shortage of help for hosting and bussing, and requesting me to come back and help them for a temporary basis. Now this doesn't surprise me, as I'm sure the other hosts left for the same reasons I did. But I'm a sucker for seeing the good in people and not burning bridges, even when the other person is laying dynamite on said bridge. I take a look at my schedule and tell them I can help out on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and mornings the rest of the week for a few weeks until school started back up. This would enable me to continue DoorDashing on the most profitable nights of the week(my primary income atm), and still have time to bake treats for my online store(my second income). The employer responds that they are no longer open for lunches(not a surprise due to the aforementioned staffing issues), and don't want help on the shifts I listed, just Friday and Saturday dinners. This presents an issue as with my previous hourly rate I would be making a good deal less than DoorDashing on those nights(not to mention I hated hosting at this place due to sheer boredom). But I'm still a sucker for helping people who need help, so I agree to help temporarily. At this point I've agreed to come back, and who knows, if they play their cards right, they could have a reliable employee back until they can hire more people. This is where the twist comes.
The employer messages me 'expressing concern' that based on what happened last time(TL;DR she based an entire night's schedule around me being there, and when I requested it off some time ahead of time she stubbornly refused to allow me to try and find a replacement), she didn't know if she could 'count on me being there'. Keep in mind I've never once been more than 5 minutes late for a shift, and the aforementioned incident was the only time I ever requested covering of a shift after it was put on the schedule for the entire 1.5 years I'd worked there.
At the end of the day I don't think their bad people, just people in way over their heads and with no experience of properly managing people. Still, I don't get what prompts a person to come to an employee they themselves had fired 6 months prior asking for help due to their own poor staffing, then express concern that they won't show up to their shift. If that was an issue to her, then a) don't reach out to me, or b) fire me for a second time.
Welp, thanks for coming to my TedTalk.