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Old 12-17-2014, 11:37 PM
 
3,750 posts, read 4,943,315 times
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Last month I got work in an assisted living home, waiting tables and cleaning the dishes. I was thrilled to get the job since it was the second place I applied to after McDonald's.

I gave it a shot for 4 days, worked as hard as I could, and tried to soak in the dozens of things they told me that I had to remember by heart, and that was all I could take. The chef there was a complete jerk and was constantly micro-managing all of us. He made me do dishes so quickly that I kept burning my hands. The water was hot enough to cause pain but just barely cool enough that it didn't leave injury. The boss wasn't even there half the time. Everyone else was nice but constantly frazzled and impatient with me even though I was working as hard as I could. The place is severely understaffed and they kept treating me badly because apparently the person who worked with them before was an entitled jerk who didn't listen to them.

I was expected to constantly have a cheery demeanor and make small talk even though the job physically and mentally demanded all of me. Aside from waiting, which I got no tips for, and washing dishes I also had to fold silverware every day, prepare the desserts, remember where every single type of utensil and food item belongs in the kitchen, wash and fold the table coverings in the laundry every day, make the coffee, take the temperature of the dish washer, and clean my part of the kitchen. If I pressed the wrong button in the dishwasher I'd have to do ALL of them all over again, and deal with the grumpy residents.

Not only that but if the residents ever had a complaint about anything they could SUE me. I'm not saying they shouldn't have the right to, but that's an enormous responsibility for somebody with such a menial job to bear.

While most of the old people I served were sweet and gracious about a quarter of them were insufferably rude. I understand and all, I'd be resentful about having to live there too so I never took it personally, but I couldn't see myself getting used to dealing with such rudeness along with not getting any tips.

I ended up quietly resigning after the end of the 4th day I was there because I knew they couldn't train me to do the job to a standard they needed in just another week, and I would have just cramped their style and been a burden on them. I think their job is too hard for a newcomer to do, only someone who was experience in kitchen work could adapt fast enough and even then only if they had a sharp enough mind and enough endurance and tolerance of BS. I felt exploited working there, as I imagine everyone else there does, so I threw in the towel. If I'm only getting paid $9.50 before taxes and not making any tips it's not worth being treated so badly and having to work so ridiculously hard for so little. I'd rather do landscaping work for crying out loud!

I've been looking for a job elsewhere, just about anything will seem laid back compared to that awful job. Does this sound like a typical kitchen job to you or do you think their conditions were borderline abusive? Hell even my boss was discouraging me from accepting the job when he called back about my application, come to think of it.

Last edited by Mini-apple-less; 12-17-2014 at 11:48 PM..
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Old 12-17-2014, 11:45 PM
 
2,283 posts, read 3,844,175 times
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Sounds like a typical kitchen job for grunt work.
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Old 12-17-2014, 11:54 PM
 
907 posts, read 709,015 times
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uhh 4 days? have some heart!
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Old 12-17-2014, 11:54 PM
 
3,750 posts, read 4,943,315 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gumisgood View Post
uhh 4 days? have some heart!
Trust me it was enough.
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Old 12-18-2014, 12:08 AM
 
2,064 posts, read 4,424,223 times
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well, it's hard to say unless you have worked other kitchen jobs. it sounds rather typical though...watch tv shows like undercover boss lol...
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Old 12-18-2014, 12:10 AM
 
3,750 posts, read 4,943,315 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RVD90277 View Post
well, it's hard to say unless you have worked other kitchen jobs. it sounds rather typical though...watch tv shows like undercover boss lol...
At least I learned that kitchen jobs aren't for me. I'm just not nearly social enough or have a good enough memory of mundane things to thrive in that sort of work environment. My other job, a (very) part time cashier job I have for 9 months of the year is a lot better, problem is getting promoted to more hours is almost impossible.

I will say if they accepted tips there I MIGHT have given it a few more days before I threw in the towel.
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Old 12-18-2014, 12:12 AM
 
2,064 posts, read 4,424,223 times
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well, at the end of the day your health and happiness are important too. sometimes no job is worth it and it sounds like you hit that point.
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Old 12-18-2014, 05:05 AM
 
Location: The DMV
6,566 posts, read 11,221,754 times
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There is no right or wrong about it. I can state reasons why you should have stayed, and I can say why you made the right decision. But in the end, you made a decision that only you could make...
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Old 12-18-2014, 05:52 AM
 
Location: NYC
16,061 posts, read 26,680,270 times
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Originally Posted by macroy View Post
There is no right or wrong about it. I can state reasons why you should have stayed, and I can say why you made the right decision. But in the end, you made a decision that only you could make...
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Old 12-18-2014, 06:39 AM
 
587 posts, read 912,826 times
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Yes, that does sound typical. If you had stayed, sooner or later one of the residents would have assaulted you for the soup being too cold. Retirement homes are odd
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