Kate Hackett
11. Cut Hours WAY Down
They hired me to work full time. I had interviewed to work full time. I was trying to quit a horrible job, and this job was on the other end of town. I needed enough money for the bus pass, and to make up the difference and more of quitting my old job. They hired me and showed me my schedule. I showed up for my first day, things are going good, then my manager called me in, sat me down, and explained that they’d have to cut me down to 15 hours a week because they’d hired too many f**king people. I explained, painfully, that I had to take a bus an hour each way and wouldn’t be able to pay rent or food after that. He said I could always hold out and hope people quit. I told him he could start with me, took off my apron and stormed out in tears.
12. Amazon Warehouse: Yup, It’s Bad
On the first day of working at Amazon warehouse the managers broke down to Everyone how a 15 minute break works there. Walking to the break room is 2 1/2 minutes. 10 minutes of actual break and then 2 1/2 minutes to go back to your stations. It took me 2 1/2 minutes to walk to my car and I took a forever break.
13. The Absolute Nightmare Pay
I technically quit before my first day. I got hired at a well-known gift store. I was hired with the understanding that I would work Saturdays, Sundays, and a grand total of 8 hours a week (so two 4 hour shifts). Also at minimum wage. Not a problem with me, done that before, I would just pick up a part-time job for rest of the week. Nope, apparently that wasn’t allowed. The manager thought that was a horrible thing and “disrespectful” to her. I should only work for them and only them and I should have better control over my money if I can’t survive on $64 a week before taxes….. Yeah, didn’t show up cause f**k that noise. She called pissed off that I wouldn’t show up to such an opportunity.
14. Subhuman treatment
A long time ago, not long after getting my papers as a chef I had an interview at a hotel for a position in the kitchen. The Executive Chef and I chatted in his office for about 20 mins, at the time I remember him coming off as very arrogant which is quite common in this field, I didn’t think much of it at the time as the pay was decent and the shift was what I wanted. As I was leaving his office I turned to leave through the dining room (the way I had come in) which was closed at the time it was another hour or so before service started and he says to me “No not that way, go through the kitchen, you’re not good enough to go through the dining room.” I was so surprised by what he said, I just did what he asked without a word. Later on after I had got home I phoned him up and said that after having a close look I decided that his menu wasn’t good enough and that I wouldn’t be accepting his offer.
15. No Breaks
Took a summer job at a textile plant and the trainer said, “Forget about taking a break if you want to stay caught up.”
16. Neverending Training
It was a waitress gig for a local restaurant. I finished my first day, then was told that training would continue for six weeks. While I was in training, all of the tips I got had to be given to my trainer. I was being paid less than $2 an hour.
I called the next day and said it wasn’t gonna work out.
17. Rape-vibes
Gas station. The manager gave me a weird vibe. I made it through the first day but didn’t go back.. Found out later he cornered another girl in the back of the store and she had to fight her way out. Trust your gut.
18. Yiiiikes, more rape-vibes
Had an orientation for an alarm company. Next day manager calls and says don’t worry about going into the office and to meet at “Planet Hollywood” they like to get to know the employees better over lunch.
Next day I go into the office and another employee whom I had not met says “You must be “Scandal929.” I was like “ha”?
They responded “Light skinned, pretty boy” is how the manager described me.
In same conversation I found out no one else had ever been invited for a “get to know you” lunch.
I’m out!
19. The terrible, terrible, slow pay
I met a landscaping crew at a 50 acre cemetery at 8:00am. The pay was just $5/hr cash (in 2001), but my hours at Pizza Hut had been cut and I wanted to make a little money before going off to college.
After 3 hours straight of weedeating I couldn’t feel my hands. I was filthy and hot af. It was miserable. I was 18 and headed to a prestigious school in 2 months, the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze, as they say.
At lunch I told the guy “Hey man, I’m just gonna go home and I’m not coming back.” And he had a totally awesome response “No problem, I wouldn’t want to do this sh*t at your age either, I’ll pay you for the time you worked and drop it off at your house.” $20 showed up about a week later.
I hope life is going good Mr. Sterly.
$5/hr was still not very much in 2001. It’s probably like $7.50/hr now.
20. Robberies
Fast food chain: I was 17.
I found out during training that the place had been robbed 3 times in the past month and 1 employee was seriously injured.
Not worth the $5/hr.
