I work at a family owned resteraunt in my neighbourhood. I was offered a New Years Eve shift (my first one) so they explained to me that it's actually a really good shift and we would have time to sit down with the guests before midnight. They said they need to know so they know if they can open up.
I thought about it and being a broke uni student plus the fact that I am very naïve led me to the conclusion that it was a good idea.
Oh. Boy.
A server couldn't make it cause she broke her leg (bosses Mom is the server and she was doing an errand for my bosses and their kids when she slipped on ice and shattered her leg) so it was just one server left for 60+ people and then my two bosses and I working the kitchen.
My New Years Eve in a nutshell:
-The server would make petty comments to me all evening and although I know very well how stressed she was, so was I and I didn't have to be rude to anyone even though I REALLY wanted to.
-Got to listen to my bosses have screaming matches every now and then (they're married btw)
-Absolutely slammed with work I wanted to collapse and cry
-Doing everything in turbo mode so we can finish in time (props to the parents on my female bosses side of the family because they helped as much as they could)
- Despite the minimum wage being rasied to €12.50 in October, I received a whopping ten bucks an hour with a total of €15 tips for the whole evening so that doesn't even cover the cost of my “lost” wages. (I'm a firm believer that tipping shouldn't be a thing because you should be earning enough from your employer but damnit it's New Years Eve and the people making you your three course menus have families too they could've been with). That being said, no, I did not get a bonus even though its standard at most places.
-We missed the countdown and during the little get together I was feeling totally left out cause everyone there knew eachother and I was trying to interact with people but people didn't want to talk to me (they usually think i don't understand them because I'm coloured in an all white village but thats another topic)
I should add that I don't have a contract to be fair. I started at 15 and was too young for one and now that I'm older I'm not there often enough for there to be a contract.
My bosses are actually really nice people but I feel like I'm often guilt tripped into accepting shifts because they tell me about how much they'll be in the weeds if they don't have anybody and I'm too nice to say no.
I also never minded that I haven't been payed minimum wage since October because of how kind they are but today was annoying because they know I have a dog at home and an 86 year old grandad that I don't get to see much now and New Years Eve is a day people also want to spend at home. After seeing how little I was payed I almost cried. I feel so exploited and it really opened my eyes that I have to stop being so nice. I put up with a lot over there. Kids constantly running around, toys around the kitchen which is a serious hazard cause if I fall into the fryer an apology is not going to give me my face back. No matter how swamped we get, I never raise my voice like others. And ever since I was 15 there have been times I literally carried their whole business because I was the only one who would come in and I would almost always show up if they shot me a text that they need someone now or generally last minute shifts.