I worked here while working either one other job or two other jobs to keep up with my bills. My first week there, I was resting in my car in between my jobs. I had a half hour yet so I was cramming food down my throat because I felt rushed. I parked on the side of the building and a girl who worked there took the time to come out and not even ask me if I could clock in early. She demanded I clock in when I didn’t have to work yet. I submissively threw my food away and clocked in because I never know how to react to inhumane behavior so I usually say nothing or react late.
They state as a company, they don’t have to give breaks which I’m sure is illegal. I was working two 8 hr shifts in one day at least 5 times a week for five years. That’s a 16 hr shift minus breaks. I’ve never smoked in my life so I didn’t take smoking breaks either. I felt like I had to constantly remind them of my other job but since I felt annoying doing that, I kept my mouth shut most of the time. They complained no one worked, but when I was running around stressing out, keeping the place clean and organized and trash empty, they would complain about that too. It’s like they had a sick pleasure of taking advantage of my subservient personality. I always prioritized the trash and deep cleaned the bathrooms because seeing trash taller than me and the disgusting bathrooms embarrassed me. Their version of “cleaning” was spraying the bathroom with disgusting scents. Taking out the trash and cleaning the bathrooms irritated my coworkers however, even when I tried to do it in an efficient way that wouldn’t cause problems for them. But considering they stood in one place the entire shift, I had to take initiative and do what I thought was best. They ended up making this big mentally challenged person I worked with, take the trash out and clean the men’s bathroom, which I considered very unethical. They took advantage of him knowing he wouldn’t complain when they were perfectly capable of doing it themselves. I felt like I was constantly doing something wrong.
One time, they scheduled me on top of another job or changed it on me. I’m pretty good about knowing when I’m scheduled. I can handle a lot but I’m human. I have limits. I’m not a slave machine or a robot. Instead of apologizing, they blamed me.
When my ex started purposely coming in and terrifying me, to the point where I didn’t feel safe and had to leave the state in order to pay my bills, they did nothing. I’m aware I’m emotional which is why I look up to management to handle things but they failed me as managers. He even showed pictures of me, and by the description, they were most likely pictures he took without my consent to a coworker. I didn’t even bother to take action against that even though it affected me quite a bit. I was too tired.
Besides really needing all my jobs to pay my bills, I also used work as a stress mechanism and he took that away from me. I tolerated everything for over a year. This situation should not have escalated this far. I took proper precautions to avoid problems before they happened and management failed to de escalate the issue. My work performance is amazing and has nothing to do with a sudden customer frequenting my job because he has a strange issue with me.
They gave me full time hours but never put me in as full time or gave me benefits. After working for three years for the company at different locations, I decided it wasn’t worth my emotional energy. I gave so much and was given so little. I worked very hard because I don’t think anything’s worth doing if I don’t put my all into it, even if I don’t like the job or find it difficult. I actually enjoyed doing my tasks but people kept taking their personal issues out on me. I’m not an emotional punching bag. It was starting to cost me my physical health. My stress levels were so high, it took a toll on me physically. For being so hard up on money, the people who worked there sure enjoyed making everyone’s lives miserable for no reason and then pretending they did nothing wrong.
They also kept accusing me of flirting with people when I wasn’t, and if I was short and to the point, but serious and professional, I was too mean. I’m not a mean person by nature but I can only cater so much to other people’s misperceptions of me. I was either too flirty or too mean. And neither were my intentions. This isn’t grade school. Just because some one says hello or is in the peripheral of another person, does not mean they’re flirting.
I was so overworked and sleep deprived from stress. I couldn’t even enjoy life. Now, because of my experience there, I can’t walk around town alone.
After working there for three years, I was only getting paid $11/hr. I tried working there again at a different location, and I was finally being paid $13/hr but it wasn’t worth it. I can’t associate with low caliber people for too long, without it affecting me emotionally and physically.
