Tallulah
Nov 4, 2010, 09:43 PM
I'm having a shitty time at work lately, and I'm not the only one.
It's the little things that started it. We have a large handful of regulars who come in and have a coffee, and we provide refills for them. As a dining area staff member, I like to catch them in the queue, ask "Refill? :) " and fetch it for them. One day I was doing just that, only to be told, out of the blue "oh, we don't do that anymore." This caused a little discord with some of the customers, and Gareth (one of the only GOOD managers left!) went over the head of Simon, the new area manager who instigated this change, and said that we can, at least for the meantime, do this now. I don't mind that we can't do it anymore; I mean, we all have to cut back, and I can see where Simon's coming from, but the point is I wasn't told about the change, I made myself look an idiot in front of the customers, and it really annoyed me.
Next, I was often left to my own devices to do 'changeover' tasks between 2 until 4 in the afternoon. These tasks including sweeping and mopping the floors, cleaning out the three bin houses, close off and clean all three toilets, changing bins outside and trash walk. All this on top of tidying up after people, and taking out drive-thru's holds. I have been doing this a lot lately, becaue they don't have any spare staff on front counter. I can usually get most of the tasks done, apart from one; which frustrates me. It's a two-person job, really, and it works excellently, as I can delegate tasks to the new people who have joined on Dining Area (a whole bunch of staff have quit, on sick, or got fired. :( ). A couple of days, I was supposed to finish at 2 or 3, but, knowing Angie, the lady who generally does dining area closes, did not arrive until 4pm, and I volunteered (stupidly!) to stay on until 4, as I knew the restaurant would get really messy in those 1-2 hours, and I didn't want to leave Angie to struggle.
Then there's one of the worst managers that ever existed, Steph. She got made up to manager just a couple of months ago, just after she returned to work after a nasty car accident. Martin, who is another one of the managers, and is also one of the funniest, most genuine people I have ever met, was injured badly in the same accident, is struggling to learn to walk again, and I know it's horrible, but Steph is such a bad manager, and such a horrible, fake person, I can't help but wish it had been the other way around. She has spoken to me like absolute shit in the past, but I think she knows that she is on the edge with me, as I have quite openly given her some nasty looks, so she is being as nice as pie to me now, but it comes across as condescending. For example, I usually start an early shift at 7.30, and go right out and do a trash walk (pick up all the rubbish in the car park), but she still ASKS me to do what I was going to do ANYWAY! Also she was apparently really rude to Paul when she rung up AT 6AM ON MY DAY OFF! when she needed to talk to me (about an accident that happened the day before). Apparently, she was all like: "Just get her, will you?" to him.
Then there was half term. It was super-busy, as you can imagine, as the kids were off, and just like previous days, I was on my own. This time, there was no time to do ANYTHING, and for the first half of the week, one of the new guys was on by himself, and hasn't found time to clean the floors. One of the sections was so dirty, on Friday last, Krissy, who was mercifully on Dining Area with me, went for her break, and asked me to clean the floor. Unfortunately, the stupid idiots that qualify as customers DO NOT UNDERSTAND a barricade of chairs and a sign saying: "This Area Is Now Closed For Cleaning. Please Use Alternative Seating." I had to chase away a couple of families (one moved voluntarily), and kill time cleaning up a booth, which was an absolute pigsty, for one of these people. God, I was so embarrassed by the state of the floor, and had to explain that the floor badly needed cleaning. They understood, but I could tell they weren't happy. Neither was I!
Also, I have had a major falling-out with Paul's parents. I tried to come clean, and say that I find them ever so phoney and uncomfortable to be around, but Paul's mother did not take the criticism too well, and now wants nothing to do with me. Oh, well, I got over that pretty quicky, but she said some nasty stuff about me, accused me of lying about her husband, and said I was 'unhinged'. This coming from the woman who has revved her car, threatening to run over her own daughter! I can't stand the hypocrisy.
Something inside me snapped this morning and I called in sick. I have a doctor's appointment for tomorrow afternoon to try and sort out this terrible stress. I have felt increasingly nervous during my journeys into work for the past couple of weeks, I have been putting stuff down and not remembering where it is (e.g. the bottle of sanitising solution at work, drinks, shopping, and I've lost another hat and badge on the way to the gym because I didn't notice my bag was unzipped until I got into the changing room!), not being able to string a sentence together or think of the right word, brain not engaging when it should (I had a terrible time on my last driving lesson and my instructor advised me to put back my driving test. I come home tired and grumpy, and have to literally FORCE myself to go to the gym, which I usually really enjoy. Then I feel bad for not going, and also for calling in sick. All I've been doing all day today is sitting here and watching Nostalgia Critic videos to try and cheer myself up. It's worked a little, but I think it's because I'm simply not at work... I just need someone to talk to.
I also happen to know that there is a lot of discontent at work. You only have to read my Facebook page to see. People are complaining that they only have one, two or no shifts, because Caroline has returned, and she is doing the scheduling. Absolutely useless! Personally I have four days; one of these is a NINE-HOUR shift. The prospect of this would have been great a couple weeks back, but seeing that just filled me with horror. I don't want to do it. :angry: I just talked to Paul about a time when I went to tidy up a table, and there was crumbs, burger pieces, lettuce on the floor and an entire, crumbled-up chocolate muffin on a high chair. What a waste! I just feel so cross having to do everyone's dirty work. Other (usually older) customers make comments like 'Oh, they eat like pigs!' and 'Why can't they just take their trays to the bin; it doesn't take that long.' I can't help but agree. To make matters worse I knew there was no point in even tidying up, because Angie was off, and there was no-one to do the 'close' properly.
The job has just started annoying me. Little things like leaving tissue on the side by the sinks in the toilet (look, I know the hand dryers suck, but you can always FLUSH the paper or get rid of it in the bin which smacks you in the face when you come back into the dining area!) or people who leave trays of their shite on top of the bin, just because it's full, or try and empty their rubbish into the bin when you're emptying it. Gaaaaah! :yuck:
Okay, I'm done. I could do with signing off work for two weeks, and a chat with Caroline to do a specific shift every day; I don't think shift work is helping.
Geez, it took me a long time to write that. :(
It's the little things that started it. We have a large handful of regulars who come in and have a coffee, and we provide refills for them. As a dining area staff member, I like to catch them in the queue, ask "Refill? :) " and fetch it for them. One day I was doing just that, only to be told, out of the blue "oh, we don't do that anymore." This caused a little discord with some of the customers, and Gareth (one of the only GOOD managers left!) went over the head of Simon, the new area manager who instigated this change, and said that we can, at least for the meantime, do this now. I don't mind that we can't do it anymore; I mean, we all have to cut back, and I can see where Simon's coming from, but the point is I wasn't told about the change, I made myself look an idiot in front of the customers, and it really annoyed me.
Next, I was often left to my own devices to do 'changeover' tasks between 2 until 4 in the afternoon. These tasks including sweeping and mopping the floors, cleaning out the three bin houses, close off and clean all three toilets, changing bins outside and trash walk. All this on top of tidying up after people, and taking out drive-thru's holds. I have been doing this a lot lately, becaue they don't have any spare staff on front counter. I can usually get most of the tasks done, apart from one; which frustrates me. It's a two-person job, really, and it works excellently, as I can delegate tasks to the new people who have joined on Dining Area (a whole bunch of staff have quit, on sick, or got fired. :( ). A couple of days, I was supposed to finish at 2 or 3, but, knowing Angie, the lady who generally does dining area closes, did not arrive until 4pm, and I volunteered (stupidly!) to stay on until 4, as I knew the restaurant would get really messy in those 1-2 hours, and I didn't want to leave Angie to struggle.
Then there's one of the worst managers that ever existed, Steph. She got made up to manager just a couple of months ago, just after she returned to work after a nasty car accident. Martin, who is another one of the managers, and is also one of the funniest, most genuine people I have ever met, was injured badly in the same accident, is struggling to learn to walk again, and I know it's horrible, but Steph is such a bad manager, and such a horrible, fake person, I can't help but wish it had been the other way around. She has spoken to me like absolute shit in the past, but I think she knows that she is on the edge with me, as I have quite openly given her some nasty looks, so she is being as nice as pie to me now, but it comes across as condescending. For example, I usually start an early shift at 7.30, and go right out and do a trash walk (pick up all the rubbish in the car park), but she still ASKS me to do what I was going to do ANYWAY! Also she was apparently really rude to Paul when she rung up AT 6AM ON MY DAY OFF! when she needed to talk to me (about an accident that happened the day before). Apparently, she was all like: "Just get her, will you?" to him.
Then there was half term. It was super-busy, as you can imagine, as the kids were off, and just like previous days, I was on my own. This time, there was no time to do ANYTHING, and for the first half of the week, one of the new guys was on by himself, and hasn't found time to clean the floors. One of the sections was so dirty, on Friday last, Krissy, who was mercifully on Dining Area with me, went for her break, and asked me to clean the floor. Unfortunately, the stupid idiots that qualify as customers DO NOT UNDERSTAND a barricade of chairs and a sign saying: "This Area Is Now Closed For Cleaning. Please Use Alternative Seating." I had to chase away a couple of families (one moved voluntarily), and kill time cleaning up a booth, which was an absolute pigsty, for one of these people. God, I was so embarrassed by the state of the floor, and had to explain that the floor badly needed cleaning. They understood, but I could tell they weren't happy. Neither was I!
Also, I have had a major falling-out with Paul's parents. I tried to come clean, and say that I find them ever so phoney and uncomfortable to be around, but Paul's mother did not take the criticism too well, and now wants nothing to do with me. Oh, well, I got over that pretty quicky, but she said some nasty stuff about me, accused me of lying about her husband, and said I was 'unhinged'. This coming from the woman who has revved her car, threatening to run over her own daughter! I can't stand the hypocrisy.
Something inside me snapped this morning and I called in sick. I have a doctor's appointment for tomorrow afternoon to try and sort out this terrible stress. I have felt increasingly nervous during my journeys into work for the past couple of weeks, I have been putting stuff down and not remembering where it is (e.g. the bottle of sanitising solution at work, drinks, shopping, and I've lost another hat and badge on the way to the gym because I didn't notice my bag was unzipped until I got into the changing room!), not being able to string a sentence together or think of the right word, brain not engaging when it should (I had a terrible time on my last driving lesson and my instructor advised me to put back my driving test. I come home tired and grumpy, and have to literally FORCE myself to go to the gym, which I usually really enjoy. Then I feel bad for not going, and also for calling in sick. All I've been doing all day today is sitting here and watching Nostalgia Critic videos to try and cheer myself up. It's worked a little, but I think it's because I'm simply not at work... I just need someone to talk to.
I also happen to know that there is a lot of discontent at work. You only have to read my Facebook page to see. People are complaining that they only have one, two or no shifts, because Caroline has returned, and she is doing the scheduling. Absolutely useless! Personally I have four days; one of these is a NINE-HOUR shift. The prospect of this would have been great a couple weeks back, but seeing that just filled me with horror. I don't want to do it. :angry: I just talked to Paul about a time when I went to tidy up a table, and there was crumbs, burger pieces, lettuce on the floor and an entire, crumbled-up chocolate muffin on a high chair. What a waste! I just feel so cross having to do everyone's dirty work. Other (usually older) customers make comments like 'Oh, they eat like pigs!' and 'Why can't they just take their trays to the bin; it doesn't take that long.' I can't help but agree. To make matters worse I knew there was no point in even tidying up, because Angie was off, and there was no-one to do the 'close' properly.
The job has just started annoying me. Little things like leaving tissue on the side by the sinks in the toilet (look, I know the hand dryers suck, but you can always FLUSH the paper or get rid of it in the bin which smacks you in the face when you come back into the dining area!) or people who leave trays of their shite on top of the bin, just because it's full, or try and empty their rubbish into the bin when you're emptying it. Gaaaaah! :yuck:
Okay, I'm done. I could do with signing off work for two weeks, and a chat with Caroline to do a specific shift every day; I don't think shift work is helping.
Geez, it took me a long time to write that. :(