My week and my (soon-to-be-former) job
About work, told more or less in order:
I worked two extra hours on Tuesday even though it left me an hour to finish three assignments and take a half-hour quiz before the time expired; I also worked an extra three hours on Friday in 99-degree heat after being scratched by a dog, showing my manager “H”* an order that didn't make sense to me (it said "three side items" when there were only two sandwiches. I checked it 3x), she replied, "That's because you only have sandwiches." So when I delivered it, the guy said he'd ordered a side salad (which are stored apart from the heaters for the hot foods, like sandwiches and pizza, etc. so they're never with the orders nor are they clearly marked). I've had problems with seeing/delivering salads based on the delivery 'tags' I read to gather the proper food before and have related this to her. When I inevitably had to return for the damn salad (who orders a salad from a fast food place?! The salads are crappy!), I said, "it was a salad," and she said, "Yes" like it was obvious - of course, because she said, "YOU ONLY HAVE SANDWICHES," which apparently means "you also have a FUCKING SIDE SALAD, TOO." And I had low blood sugar from working so long. I did all that without complaining. So I worked from 4:00-11:20 on Friday, fortunately they remembered to feed us. THEY made over 5k that night (their usual take is 4k or so, their record is 5.5k). The GM ‘M’ group TEXTS everyone who worked that day to thank us, even though some people were asleep by 11:30 at night. Yes, the managers actually TEXT you to contact you with all sorts of important information. Very unprofessional as you'll read later.
I should explain that “D’s Pizza” makes a "schedule" of when you show up, but it also lists a time when you finish working…supposedly. I suppose it's more for the managers to clock you out in the order which the employees arrive. I even understand that the times are approximate, because it's fast food and the "rush" (lunch and dinner around meal times when people want to eat, much like traffic after 5:00 when everyone gets off work) doesn't stop for employees. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
That said, they'd also held me back from leaving because "the dishes aren't done." Now, I always stay busy - I clean, I make more boxes, I help out. ‘H’ the manager knows this because she's commented on it once before (when I was first hired). I also wash dishes. There are other employees, Steve and Joe (who thinks he's management and he is treated like management because of his "seniority" which we don't utilize). Joe has never touched a dish in the year I've worked there. Steve sent me on his delivery and he didn't do dishes, even though he is the closing driver (closing drivers clean the store to close it, including dishes). I mentioned this to Joe, who is not a manager. I'm usually the one back there doing dishes, BY MYSELF (more than one person can help and, what do you know! It gets done faster that way). I also help out my fellow drivers and try to get to know them.
I was scheduled to work 4:00-8:45 or so at “D's Pizza” and scheduled for 'grave' at juvie (10pm-6am) on Saturday. I accepted the juvie shift after my “D's Pizza” schedule had been made. Given the way the 'rush' has been all week, that's cutting it very close. I refuse to be the one to explain to my career job, "My manager wouldn't let me go." Honestly, I've been so tempted to have my two jobs and my instructors all talk and haggle over who gets what part of me - but I'm the stressed middlewoman here. I told ‘H’ about the juvie grave shift on Friday night and she gave her usual, "We'll see what we can do." Not promising, I'm already stressed. There is another employee, ‘A’, who has a second job - she has to leave at 1 (technically still lunch "rush"). She gets coverage (i.e. me this Saturday). ‘A’ doesn't work with ‘H’ (I do almost always so 'H' catches most of my so-called 'demanding'), but ‘A’ gets to walk out whenever she wants, on time and no one hassles her. EVER. I get a TEXT from another manager, ‘S’, around 11:30 on Saturday, waking me up.
‘S’ asked me to come in at 1pm because they had their usual drivers out 'sick' (or getting high - marijuana is legal in my state) or ‘A’ had to work her other job.
I agreed to take on the change and more hours than I was originally scheduled for (also setting aside my studying time and personal life), saying, "I will work 1-6pm because I can't get stuck in rush."
‘S’ texted back, "We'll call in the sick guy if we get too busy. I'll let ‘H’ know."
I said, "She already knows."
‘S’ said, "I'll still let her know," which she did.
So, I work in 101-degree heat. “D’s Pizza” did not refill its watered-down Gatorade jug for the drivers; they didn't say, "be safe, drink water", nothing. I was sunburned. The other driver I worked with wasn't feeling well.
6:30 Saturday rolls around and ‘H’ shows no signs of letting me go. I took two deliveries, without a word, because there weren’t other drivers to take the delivery if I tried to leave. At 6:30, ‘H’ calls my name for a delivery. Two drivers walk in, ready for deliveries. I said, "I was scheduled to be checked out a while ago." Without a word, ‘H’ rolls her eyes, huffs and stomps to check me out, ending with, "sign yourself out" and walking out.
Hours later, when I'm trying to leave for my juvie grave shift, I get two TEXTS from the GM/scheduler ‘M’ (paraphrased here because I'm too angry to look at my phone to quote directly - the texts were quite long): "You cannot demand to leave. It's rude to our customers and our drivers." (They frequently pull the 'our customers' BS on me and 'H' gives me the stink-eye even though I'm a corrections officer - I don't expect or demand special treatment because of it, but I think it should COUNT for something in their regard).
I explained most of my situation (forgetting to mention the part about covering their ass when I had no reason to - I don’t need the money that badly AT ALL. I've never said or implied that - my corrections job pays over $15 an hour compared to minimum $9.32+claimed tips+'gas money' negative gas costs and miles on my personal vehicle - I'm not stupid enough to give them grounds to fire me. So when I give them my time, I'm practically being freaking charitable). I mentioned, "I like to think that when I make an agreement with my employer that they'll at least make an effort to keep it." Because I have trust issues with them by now, obviously.
He TEXTED back, "You work until we say you can stop."
Then a third TEXT from him, "Don't" and that was all.
Now, me, being a professional, I was going to make an appointment with him IN PERSON and talk about if ‘H’ or anyone else has an issue with me because it’s not like they talk to me. She constantly nitpicks and rarely compliments anyone. (During the winter, where it snows and blizzards here, she made me remove my scarf because it wasn't part of the uniform - I get a sore throat and a lingering cold if my throat is exposed from breathing cold air and we're not supposed to work if we have diarrhea or a cold, according to the Food Handler's Card crap. The issued coats they let us use work great but they don't have enough Small sizes, so I get stuck with Mediums/Larges that I have to roll the sleeves up and the coats don't cover my throat in any size. I told her as much, too. They don’t monitor that, and how can you, “Are you having diarrhea or a cold?”? Um, try 'none of your business - I wash my fucking hands!'). Her father owns the store and her brother works there sometimes, too, so I get that it's close to her heart and it's her livelihood but I've been respectful of that since my parents own their own business and I've worked there, too. I've always called out (physically called in and left a voicemail or spoken to the GM ‘M’ and I've only ever texted it, like 3x) at least a day ahead. Yet, ‘H’ snits, "You need to be reliable if we put you on the schedule." I've never been late; I've never been a no-show; I don't recall ever asking for a break but I probably have a few times; I'm usually quite prepared; and I never complain but I do ask about when I can leave. My "demand" was me trying to open a dialogue with ‘H’ to see what was going on; instead, she rolled her eyes, huffs and stomps and was rude to me. If I 'ask' and hint, she ignores me, so I have to be direct. A communication problem that is not my fault or my responsibility.
The way I see it:
I took time out of my day, to suffer and "get paid" (minimum wage, if that) to cover their ass because THEY can't/don't hire more drivers or schedule them properly - that's the MANAGER'S JOB. They recently forced a driver to become a cook (I didn't know they could do that. I don't know if they had issues with him because I think he's a juvenile, so the work laws of how late he can be out driving, etc.?) Then they "hired" a cook/driver who is H's cousin. She caught on pretty fast or had been around the business and knew what to do (a relief we don't have to really train her because we didn't have time during rushes, but in the morning…they have time. Also, I haven't seen the GM 'M' in a while, though he works mornings and I'm afternoon/evenings. Someone said he was taking some time off Tuesday, convenient given our shortages. So he's completely out of touch with what goes on). They made such a point of saying, "we'll be short drivers today" yet they don't call on the 4+ other drivers who could, technically, be called to work. Yet they choose to call me, although I'm on the schedule like everyone else, I'm not 'on call.'
They've never treated me like one of the team. I've done my very best to uphold their standards and learn how to do things better and make suggestions and learn from my mistakes and their criticisms. They’re acting like I'm some horrible employee or problem child because, as I see it, they did not hold up their end of the agreement of 1-6pm - they didn't even TRY to uphold it, in fact, I'm sure ‘H’ forgot (though she was told 2-3x). No "customers" or drivers were inconvenienced more than they had been all day or the whole week. THE WORLD MUST BE ENDING! I waited until someone else could take the delivery and someone operated the oven so ‘H’ could check me out. ‘S’ did thank me for coming in early and saving their collective ass (they would have had ONE driver for all of lunch rush, which is impossible when you have three deliveries in three different directions even with TWO drivers). They also knew I had another job and school when they hired me. Other people have school and second minimum-wage jobs and they aren’t hassled. I have trouble sleeping so I have trouble scheduling things and managing my time for just about everything. They stress me out because I never know when I'll be home and how much time I'll have for hygeine, sleep, work, food, studying, family time, personal time, and I've had many personal issues that I haven't complained about because of them and their 'schedule' and their needs. I admit, I like having a set schedule - work this long, leave at this time. It gives me mental comfort and it gives me something to aim at, instead of 'God knows when you get to leave and eat and do other important personal, necessary things, so shut up and work like a tool.'
They have horrible management, obviously. I've told them multiple times and left them notes, saying when I need more training (because they bitch at me when I don't know something), when I need updated uniforms - 'H' was nice enough to give me looks and make demands that I "not show up in that old uniform" while she didn't have any uniforms to give me. Nice. Working there a year, I've been called to 2-3 group "monthly" store meetings, one of which happened during rush when the GM ‘M’ had to leave manning the oven to yell over the noise in the back of the store. Yeah, very professional. Things that matter, things that are important - YOU TAKE AND MAKE TIME FOR THEM! I've made suggestions of how to do things better, like the salad incidents (and I'm not the only one who frequently forgets things like dip and drinks, "requiring" a second trip which we get paid a little bit for doing). They apparently have a team/store "chant" or song - they've never taught me. The training I requested was important, a mere sheet of paper the GM promised to get me (I think he even made a note about it) - I wanted the ingredient codes so I could help with cooking and ovens (pizzas going into coded labeled boxes so they go to the right people). I was given the list when I started working there, but it was difficult for me to learn (I never cooked or handled the ovens and got practice) and the ingredients had nothing "in common" with its designated code for easy association and learning (things like olives= R, but there is no 'R' in the word olives!) Their back room/office is a mess, constantly out of basic utilities like pens or post-its, their 'books' overflow and they keep old things like old coffee makers. They frequently bitch about employees needing time off because most are young people, with school, children, lives, etc. because they're human beings. The heater bags we carry food in are old, stained, dirty, outdated for the company policy and don't stay shut to trap heat in.
I acknowledge that they were flexible for me at times and at times I was flexible for them. I understand their point of view as a business because I'm not entrenched in my own ways, but they have never made attempts to understand mine or listen to me in any way. Why would I make any of this up? It makes me so angry, I couldn't study or sleep, though I managed both last night. I just need to get this out and feel not-crazy.
In short, I'm quitting in a few weeks, giving a week's notice, after I've given them a good year. It worked out for us both well when it did work out. I'm practically debt-free and ready to pursue my not-minimum-wage career. I'm a professional human being; I have a life.
"D's Pizza" will be listed at "do not contact" in my Personal History Statement due to "scheduling conflicts." This is my only job I've ever 'quit.'
*Names have been changed/redacted.
I worked two extra hours on Tuesday even though it left me an hour to finish three assignments and take a half-hour quiz before the time expired; I also worked an extra three hours on Friday in 99-degree heat after being scratched by a dog, showing my manager “H”* an order that didn't make sense to me (it said "three side items" when there were only two sandwiches. I checked it 3x), she replied, "That's because you only have sandwiches." So when I delivered it, the guy said he'd ordered a side salad (which are stored apart from the heaters for the hot foods, like sandwiches and pizza, etc. so they're never with the orders nor are they clearly marked). I've had problems with seeing/delivering salads based on the delivery 'tags' I read to gather the proper food before and have related this to her. When I inevitably had to return for the damn salad (who orders a salad from a fast food place?! The salads are crappy!), I said, "it was a salad," and she said, "Yes" like it was obvious - of course, because she said, "YOU ONLY HAVE SANDWICHES," which apparently means "you also have a FUCKING SIDE SALAD, TOO." And I had low blood sugar from working so long. I did all that without complaining. So I worked from 4:00-11:20 on Friday, fortunately they remembered to feed us. THEY made over 5k that night (their usual take is 4k or so, their record is 5.5k). The GM ‘M’ group TEXTS everyone who worked that day to thank us, even though some people were asleep by 11:30 at night. Yes, the managers actually TEXT you to contact you with all sorts of important information. Very unprofessional as you'll read later.
I should explain that “D’s Pizza” makes a "schedule" of when you show up, but it also lists a time when you finish working…supposedly. I suppose it's more for the managers to clock you out in the order which the employees arrive. I even understand that the times are approximate, because it's fast food and the "rush" (lunch and dinner around meal times when people want to eat, much like traffic after 5:00 when everyone gets off work) doesn't stop for employees. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
That said, they'd also held me back from leaving because "the dishes aren't done." Now, I always stay busy - I clean, I make more boxes, I help out. ‘H’ the manager knows this because she's commented on it once before (when I was first hired). I also wash dishes. There are other employees, Steve and Joe (who thinks he's management and he is treated like management because of his "seniority" which we don't utilize). Joe has never touched a dish in the year I've worked there. Steve sent me on his delivery and he didn't do dishes, even though he is the closing driver (closing drivers clean the store to close it, including dishes). I mentioned this to Joe, who is not a manager. I'm usually the one back there doing dishes, BY MYSELF (more than one person can help and, what do you know! It gets done faster that way). I also help out my fellow drivers and try to get to know them.
I was scheduled to work 4:00-8:45 or so at “D's Pizza” and scheduled for 'grave' at juvie (10pm-6am) on Saturday. I accepted the juvie shift after my “D's Pizza” schedule had been made. Given the way the 'rush' has been all week, that's cutting it very close. I refuse to be the one to explain to my career job, "My manager wouldn't let me go." Honestly, I've been so tempted to have my two jobs and my instructors all talk and haggle over who gets what part of me - but I'm the stressed middlewoman here. I told ‘H’ about the juvie grave shift on Friday night and she gave her usual, "We'll see what we can do." Not promising, I'm already stressed. There is another employee, ‘A’, who has a second job - she has to leave at 1 (technically still lunch "rush"). She gets coverage (i.e. me this Saturday). ‘A’ doesn't work with ‘H’ (I do almost always so 'H' catches most of my so-called 'demanding'), but ‘A’ gets to walk out whenever she wants, on time and no one hassles her. EVER. I get a TEXT from another manager, ‘S’, around 11:30 on Saturday, waking me up.
‘S’ asked me to come in at 1pm because they had their usual drivers out 'sick' (or getting high - marijuana is legal in my state) or ‘A’ had to work her other job.
I agreed to take on the change and more hours than I was originally scheduled for (also setting aside my studying time and personal life), saying, "I will work 1-6pm because I can't get stuck in rush."
‘S’ texted back, "We'll call in the sick guy if we get too busy. I'll let ‘H’ know."
I said, "She already knows."
‘S’ said, "I'll still let her know," which she did.
So, I work in 101-degree heat. “D’s Pizza” did not refill its watered-down Gatorade jug for the drivers; they didn't say, "be safe, drink water", nothing. I was sunburned. The other driver I worked with wasn't feeling well.
6:30 Saturday rolls around and ‘H’ shows no signs of letting me go. I took two deliveries, without a word, because there weren’t other drivers to take the delivery if I tried to leave. At 6:30, ‘H’ calls my name for a delivery. Two drivers walk in, ready for deliveries. I said, "I was scheduled to be checked out a while ago." Without a word, ‘H’ rolls her eyes, huffs and stomps to check me out, ending with, "sign yourself out" and walking out.
Hours later, when I'm trying to leave for my juvie grave shift, I get two TEXTS from the GM/scheduler ‘M’ (paraphrased here because I'm too angry to look at my phone to quote directly - the texts were quite long): "You cannot demand to leave. It's rude to our customers and our drivers." (They frequently pull the 'our customers' BS on me and 'H' gives me the stink-eye even though I'm a corrections officer - I don't expect or demand special treatment because of it, but I think it should COUNT for something in their regard).
I explained most of my situation (forgetting to mention the part about covering their ass when I had no reason to - I don’t need the money that badly AT ALL. I've never said or implied that - my corrections job pays over $15 an hour compared to minimum $9.32+claimed tips+'gas money' negative gas costs and miles on my personal vehicle - I'm not stupid enough to give them grounds to fire me. So when I give them my time, I'm practically being freaking charitable). I mentioned, "I like to think that when I make an agreement with my employer that they'll at least make an effort to keep it." Because I have trust issues with them by now, obviously.
He TEXTED back, "You work until we say you can stop."
Then a third TEXT from him, "Don't" and that was all.
Now, me, being a professional, I was going to make an appointment with him IN PERSON and talk about if ‘H’ or anyone else has an issue with me because it’s not like they talk to me. She constantly nitpicks and rarely compliments anyone. (During the winter, where it snows and blizzards here, she made me remove my scarf because it wasn't part of the uniform - I get a sore throat and a lingering cold if my throat is exposed from breathing cold air and we're not supposed to work if we have diarrhea or a cold, according to the Food Handler's Card crap. The issued coats they let us use work great but they don't have enough Small sizes, so I get stuck with Mediums/Larges that I have to roll the sleeves up and the coats don't cover my throat in any size. I told her as much, too. They don’t monitor that, and how can you, “Are you having diarrhea or a cold?”? Um, try 'none of your business - I wash my fucking hands!'). Her father owns the store and her brother works there sometimes, too, so I get that it's close to her heart and it's her livelihood but I've been respectful of that since my parents own their own business and I've worked there, too. I've always called out (physically called in and left a voicemail or spoken to the GM ‘M’ and I've only ever texted it, like 3x) at least a day ahead. Yet, ‘H’ snits, "You need to be reliable if we put you on the schedule." I've never been late; I've never been a no-show; I don't recall ever asking for a break but I probably have a few times; I'm usually quite prepared; and I never complain but I do ask about when I can leave. My "demand" was me trying to open a dialogue with ‘H’ to see what was going on; instead, she rolled her eyes, huffs and stomps and was rude to me. If I 'ask' and hint, she ignores me, so I have to be direct. A communication problem that is not my fault or my responsibility.
The way I see it:
I took time out of my day, to suffer and "get paid" (minimum wage, if that) to cover their ass because THEY can't/don't hire more drivers or schedule them properly - that's the MANAGER'S JOB. They recently forced a driver to become a cook (I didn't know they could do that. I don't know if they had issues with him because I think he's a juvenile, so the work laws of how late he can be out driving, etc.?) Then they "hired" a cook/driver who is H's cousin. She caught on pretty fast or had been around the business and knew what to do (a relief we don't have to really train her because we didn't have time during rushes, but in the morning…they have time. Also, I haven't seen the GM 'M' in a while, though he works mornings and I'm afternoon/evenings. Someone said he was taking some time off Tuesday, convenient given our shortages. So he's completely out of touch with what goes on). They made such a point of saying, "we'll be short drivers today" yet they don't call on the 4+ other drivers who could, technically, be called to work. Yet they choose to call me, although I'm on the schedule like everyone else, I'm not 'on call.'
They've never treated me like one of the team. I've done my very best to uphold their standards and learn how to do things better and make suggestions and learn from my mistakes and their criticisms. They’re acting like I'm some horrible employee or problem child because, as I see it, they did not hold up their end of the agreement of 1-6pm - they didn't even TRY to uphold it, in fact, I'm sure ‘H’ forgot (though she was told 2-3x). No "customers" or drivers were inconvenienced more than they had been all day or the whole week. THE WORLD MUST BE ENDING! I waited until someone else could take the delivery and someone operated the oven so ‘H’ could check me out. ‘S’ did thank me for coming in early and saving their collective ass (they would have had ONE driver for all of lunch rush, which is impossible when you have three deliveries in three different directions even with TWO drivers). They also knew I had another job and school when they hired me. Other people have school and second minimum-wage jobs and they aren’t hassled. I have trouble sleeping so I have trouble scheduling things and managing my time for just about everything. They stress me out because I never know when I'll be home and how much time I'll have for hygeine, sleep, work, food, studying, family time, personal time, and I've had many personal issues that I haven't complained about because of them and their 'schedule' and their needs. I admit, I like having a set schedule - work this long, leave at this time. It gives me mental comfort and it gives me something to aim at, instead of 'God knows when you get to leave and eat and do other important personal, necessary things, so shut up and work like a tool.'
They have horrible management, obviously. I've told them multiple times and left them notes, saying when I need more training (because they bitch at me when I don't know something), when I need updated uniforms - 'H' was nice enough to give me looks and make demands that I "not show up in that old uniform" while she didn't have any uniforms to give me. Nice. Working there a year, I've been called to 2-3 group "monthly" store meetings, one of which happened during rush when the GM ‘M’ had to leave manning the oven to yell over the noise in the back of the store. Yeah, very professional. Things that matter, things that are important - YOU TAKE AND MAKE TIME FOR THEM! I've made suggestions of how to do things better, like the salad incidents (and I'm not the only one who frequently forgets things like dip and drinks, "requiring" a second trip which we get paid a little bit for doing). They apparently have a team/store "chant" or song - they've never taught me. The training I requested was important, a mere sheet of paper the GM promised to get me (I think he even made a note about it) - I wanted the ingredient codes so I could help with cooking and ovens (pizzas going into coded labeled boxes so they go to the right people). I was given the list when I started working there, but it was difficult for me to learn (I never cooked or handled the ovens and got practice) and the ingredients had nothing "in common" with its designated code for easy association and learning (things like olives= R, but there is no 'R' in the word olives!) Their back room/office is a mess, constantly out of basic utilities like pens or post-its, their 'books' overflow and they keep old things like old coffee makers. They frequently bitch about employees needing time off because most are young people, with school, children, lives, etc. because they're human beings. The heater bags we carry food in are old, stained, dirty, outdated for the company policy and don't stay shut to trap heat in.
I acknowledge that they were flexible for me at times and at times I was flexible for them. I understand their point of view as a business because I'm not entrenched in my own ways, but they have never made attempts to understand mine or listen to me in any way. Why would I make any of this up? It makes me so angry, I couldn't study or sleep, though I managed both last night. I just need to get this out and feel not-crazy.
In short, I'm quitting in a few weeks, giving a week's notice, after I've given them a good year. It worked out for us both well when it did work out. I'm practically debt-free and ready to pursue my not-minimum-wage career. I'm a professional human being; I have a life.
"D's Pizza" will be listed at "do not contact" in my Personal History Statement due to "scheduling conflicts." This is my only job I've ever 'quit.'
*Names have been changed/redacted.