I have a little Rant about working in a Corporate owned chain restaurant that specializes in chicken wings, it wouldn't have been my first choice but I needed to be employed after the previous place closed up. They pay $8.50hr. My usual shift consists of starting immediately with the cleaning tasks and then maybe actually cook something and being sent home in under 3 hrs. Low Labor means a bonus for the Managers and they do this to everyone. Naturally I have been looking for a better job and I found one, but they need me to start immediately to train because their lead cook needs to take a medical leave. This could be a real good job but I didn't want to just quit without knowing for sure. So my issue was that I needed to set aside some time to come in and try out so to speak to see if this was the right job for me without abandoning the other job (such as it is) prematurely. As the schedule is written you only have a start time with no end shift time ever written down and I wanted to pin down a time that I would be available to go to this other job so this weekend I'm listed on 10am shift as the opener so it shouldn't be to hard for me to come in at 5pm for the other place. I wanted to give the Manager a heads up just to be fair so I could at least cover my shifts and they basically told me no, I'm expected to stay there all day until they say go and not a moment before and that all their employees have to be available full time. Today I decided to call in sick and just work for the other place tonight instead and I was told I can't return unless I bring a Doctors note so essentially forcing me to quit. No it's not illegal but it's damn stupid to think people are not going to get sick and maybe need to stay home occasionally and this place has more rules and requirements than any place I have ever worked and they pay almost nothing. It's not too surprising that we have seen many people who already have part-time jobs elsewhere have a schedule conflict because even though management knows they have another job to still schedule them when they can't work and write them up for no show no call, and they can't afford to lose the people. My leap of Faith now committed.

I hope things work out at the new place for you. Your current employer sounds horrible to work for. You have to fully commit your day to them, but they don't have to commit more than a few hours to you ? Sounds like they want to keep their employees down and prevent them from finding a better situation. Good luck to you.

Sounds like getting the boot from your old place may be a good thing.

Now there's no question of having to commit to your new employer. Good luck!

P.S. sounds to me like there may be some labour standards Act issues with respect to the 1st employer's actions (re: not providing a schedule with a definitive end, etc.) and that they prey on their employees need to work. I don't know FL law, but that $hit doesn't fly here.

They aren't breaking any laws it's just all about the numbers on a chart, although I was always under the impression that you had to get at least 4 hours a shift. Funny now thinking about it I overheard talk about a new hire who only wanted to pick up a weekend shift as a second job and the reply was "we only hire for full time availability". I personally haven't had more than 30 hrs in any week for 4 months and then only once at that usually more like 25-27, you can't live on that so hopefully I'll say the fighter pilots prayer and walk in and do my stuff and it'll all be great.

I remember you had trouble with some tow-truck company pulling different but similar stuff on you.
I really hope that things will work out for you Best wishes, Bong.

Yeah lol, but that one was "You make your own hours, ..You can make as much money as you want, set your own pay" and drive off the road in a beat up truck with a 45k Jag on the back from sleep deprivation too ha ha...

That's the restaurant biz. They chew people up and spit them out. Especially chains.
Did you get a feel for the new place in the interview? Remember, that's you interviewing them, not just them interviewing you. You're there to hire your boss or reject them and walk away.
From the sound of it, it should be a better situation than your current one, but you never know. If this one doesn't turn out that great, keep looking. At least you've given this one a shot.
A change of pace and being pro-active can feel good in itself.

This sounds just like the BS I was told when I got a job with New York Life selling life insurance and annuities.

The whole point is that chain-restaurant jobs, save for the manager, are never worthy jobs for a long term. It is a lifeline to get time to find something better in times of need, but rarely ever anything else.

Good luck with the next, hopefully better job!

Hmmph, and I got fired from a job earlier this year for showing UP sick - actually on a Monday after being sick over the weekend. It's not like I had the money to waste on a doctors visit (let alone a WEEKEND visit!) for a nasty cold. Classic damned if you do damned if you don't situation.

But I'm actually glad about it, that was the worst company/boss I ever worked for in my life.

You're not sick, man.

He's got eye problems- cant see himself going to work.

I think what I should have said is sometimes you need to take personal time and shouldn't have to give an excuse/explanation to the boss who isn't paying you enough to control your life, eg. if I had been sick enough to stay home I wouldn't be going to the Doctor because I can't afford it.
And as it turns out the new job is far and above a better place to be working, real food and real pay. I was having anxiety about taking a chance that I would end up screwing myself because I also had to get a car, because my previous one took a crap. So new job new car more bills etc..

If they fired you for coming to work sick, yeah, you're better off.




The Jedi Master

...and the really hysterical part is they called me on Sunday morning to ask if I was coming in, I told them I didn't get a Doctors excuse so I figured I would be fired, the reply was "so.. you're Not coming in?"

High Five for you getting the new job (if I understood right).

Seriously, I have our Social Nanny States here in the EU, but this crap is too far on the other end of the scale.