Not long after starting my day I received a message from the owner of where I work; sent out en masse to me and those I work alongside. I shall share the link HERE.
The longer I sit here the more bothered I become. The section on "Pre-shift" really gets my panties in a bunch. That's just a saying, for I am currently wearing boxer briefs. Which are yet another reminder of how much comfier things are for men. There are literal breeze holes for my butthole. Anyway...
We are a small staff in a small location. The kitchen is set up to only be able to handle so many food items at any given time. Last night we brought in nearly $5,500 with our labor. It was a bad night for us, but a good night to be the owner. We live in technologically driven times and because of that the Service Industry now has the option to use an app called Homebase. This app keeps track of your scheduled shifts and even tells you how much you made (pre-taxes) for your shift. Last night, our labor brought in nearly $5,500; pre-taxes I made $77.28.
The owner likes to stop in randomly and last night she showed up to a defeated FOH staff and a depleted BOH staff. While I was finishing up some cash transactions she said to me, "This is good. We want it to be busy. It's better for you than if it were slow." I looked her in her soul and said, "To a point."
I believe that for many, Service Industry workers are seen as stupid. Our bodies are seen as means to an end. At 31 years old my knees are wearing out, my wrists and elbows stiffen and groan, and my emotional strength is able to hit an all-time low. When you are going out: Treat restaurant, bar and retail staff nicely.
I don't think business owners realize what is occurring right now. We see signs that put the blame on the shoulders of those unwilling to hand over their labor and bodies; "staff walked out" and "the younger generations are lazy". Let us flip that script to "business owners are exploiting us for the bare minimum" and "selfishness and greed have been normalized". Now we're being told to keep our weekends open (whichever days those may be) for processing things; please don't do it on the clock. It is not useful or productive. "Your time off should complement your work. You shouldn’t be doing anything that impedes you being your best." Also, do not discuss unions or unionizing because that really just harms you and I in the long run.
Last night things were hard, and some patrons took it upon themselves to remind us that we were to be serving them and that they were to be pleased. We were failing at pleasing them and they were not happy. It's always so very easy to spot those that have never worked in the service industry. They will be the people hollering at you from across a crowded room, sometimes snapping their fingers or even clapping. These individuals have no problem with reprimanding you very publicly, while those around sit silently by watching this form of abuse. They see me and my peers as trained animals and not as human beings. You often hear that these sorts of jobs are not to be complained about if we haven't attended college. Completely missing the mark. I have worked with many people who have gone to college and yet still stand alongside me at the silverware tray.
Capitalism is greed. It is the idea that hard work means money........... for someone, somewhere. I'll be taking my $77.28 with a smug face (don't tell me to smile) and the understanding that I am ready to set fire to the systems that be.
I handle my stress fairly well in the grand scheme of things, thank you.
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