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What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know
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Waitressing Woes

by Kate
(USA)

This summer, I got a job as a waitress at a local restaurant to help pay for my books next semester. My boyfriend works there, so I thought it would be fun! WRONG. The first week or so I got to work the dinner shift, which is when my boyfriend works, and I made killer tips! He works in the kitchen, while I'm a waitress, so we only saw each other in passing. I was beginning to think I had the best job in the world! Then the manager, who is a total bully, told me we can't work together anymore because we "distract each other." We barely even talk!

Since then, I've been stuck at lunch shift, where I make little to no tips, and then scolded by the managers for not making enough tips! We have to report our tips because they're part of our wages; if we don't make enough, the business has to comp. us the difference between waitress minimum and federal minimum. So, as you see, they yell at me for a situation that they themselves put me in.

The other waitresses, who I got along with at first, are all vindictive high school girls. They started trying to steal tables out from under me and take the tips, and of course the manager would never believe me if I told her. They ALL gossip about each other (manager included), and try to get me to say something so they can catch me, but I refuse to stoop to their level. If something goes wrong that shift, i.e. someone got an order wrong, it is AUTOMATICALLY blamed on me; the manager never asks me my side of the story, she just yells at me. I'm tired of being gossiped about, lied about, stolen from, and yelled at. Is a summer job worth all this? I think not.

Comments for Waitressing Woes

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wait no more
by: Anonymous

Waitress; I sympathize with you for the ways of others; but - as you yourself asked: "is this really worth losing peace and sleep over." When the diner owner or manager took you from the dinner shift to the lunch shift which meant lower tips; that was his or her way of saying: I really don't want you here anymore. He did want you to quit. (how long were you working there when this happened? If it was after six months, he doesn't want to just terminate as that will mean 1. his unemployment insurance rating drops (not sure how that works but I think if a firm sends to many to the unemployment office, that office gives them a bad 'rating' which means higher percent they pay into the fund. 2. Might be the other young wait staff heard of your relationship with the guy in the kitchen. If you mentioned such; NEVER mention how you got hired again (this is the politic game, yes; knowing someone who can speak for us is good, but remember human nature gets jealous. Might be the manager in order to show impartiality to the other wait staff showed he was putting you on the lesser shift. It was wrong to speak of who you know in such position if you did. (lesson learned) 3. It's possible the owner manager just couldn't get someone for the lunch shift and last hired is given the lowest not highest spot. (we have to earn everything in this life) This last reason is legit; but - you shouldn't have to take guff from the other waitresses. They won't listen to you; so - I would say that since you are still in college, don't jeopardize a work career for 'one small job' to pay for food or gas for car / kindly give notice that you need to devote more time to the class study. Leave on good terms and with a smile. No matter what you feel, your problem is with 'the wait staff' not this employer who did hire you. NO FUSS NO MUSS. Just leave. (far easier in your youthfulness to leave a job; employers are very understanding on that) and remember: you are never allowed to gripe to a new employer about the old one. I never understood this, but basically: if you complain of them; they figure "I'm next" and I'm not going there.

YES; employers 'have it over on us workers' in this regard. Always be pleasant.

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