New Leaves

exhaustion

It seems like the momento from my trip to Detroit is a cold. At first it wasn't so bad. But then it just sorta settled in and has made the last three days very miserable. I lost my voice and it's taking it's precious time at returning. 3 days, I should have my voice back.

Friday, I went to Chipotle with Dusty and we chatted over our wonderously beautiful burritos. Dusty was very kind and took me to other stores so that I could pick up a few groceries. This cold seems to have a direct tap into my energy reserves. Talking exhausts me. Usually, my talking exhausts others.

I repaid Dusty by giving her not only a loaf of my precious whole wheat bread, I let her in on the recipe.

Sunday nights are ceremoniously awesome because that is my night with the Staffmaker. Since he pampered me during the trip to Detroit, I pampered him last night by giving him a male manicure/pedicure. He grows his nails because he also makes beaded jewelry and he likes being able to grab the beads easily.

I tried to call off of work on Saturday and then again on Sunday. I was feeling so exhausted and run down that I knew that it would make my cold stick around longer if I worked both of those shifts. (10 hours, each shift on a weekend in a restaurant is no fun when you are ill, Not to mention the fact that you really shouldn't be in a restaurant if you are that sick.)

No dice. The area manager had some empathy and told me that I could come in 2 hours later, and that they would do what they could to see that I got out of work early. He told Tom (co-manager) to let me go around 2pm. At the latest 4pm. I go into work, and where does Tom put me even though he knows I'm sick? Coordinating Drive Thru. That means that during lunch, I am the person getting all the orders out the window. Hello??? I'm sick, give me a slightly easier task and for fuck's sake keep me away from the window. Not to mention that I have no voice, how the fuck am I supposed to call out for the things that I need? I made it through the position because I took a Daytime Contact cold pill. AKA lots of caffeine and heavy duty cold pill.

What does Tom do during lunch? NOTHING. He runs a position called "operations leader". This is a fairy tale position. In theory: Ops leader is someone who manages the shift by constantly walking through the store and seeing what needs to be fixed or corrected. In reality, they don't give you enough of allowance with Labor hours to run this position as a manager.

When the area manager left, Tom went right back to the office and stayed there for over an hour and a half.

Remember, The area manager leaves under the impression that I am to be let out early.

I call the area manager at 5 pm and let himi know that his beloved Tom has left at 4, and basically told me that 'You seem to be okay, I think it's just your voice that's out.'

What you don't know is that last week, I worked a 12 hour shift so that Tom wouldn't be so shorthanded. I can work 2 extra hours to help him, but he can't help me, and further more has the nerve to say that he doesn't think that I'm really all that sick? That makes him an asshole and a lazy fucker.

So, he ran up the labor hours. Becuase he's lazy. He's number 2 in comand at my store and doesn't know how to run labor... I can run labor... and I'm new.

Anyhow, so I tried to call off for Sunday's shift, and the area manager had tried to get someone else there to cover my shift. Still, no dice. I ended up having to work the whole 10 hour shift, exhausted, and ready to pass out if I stood up too fast.

So, in light of this very harsh display of just how unimportant my health is to my employers, I plan on having a wee talk with my area manager about possibly being transferred to another store. There are several issues besides this one that I'll be bringing up. They include the fact that I was distinctly given a different impression of 'how different this would be in comparison to the othe rmanagement experiences that I've had.' I asked these questions. I was lied to. I loathe this sort of confrontation, but very simply put, I can make more somewhere else and put up with less.

Not to mention that all the things that I was willing and gladly giving in the past, are a thing of the past. They can't extend themselves for me, I will not extend myself for them.

I am going to try and lay down for the evening.

I hope that I feel like going back to the gym soon. I have no energy.

Posted by hawkie at March 1, 2005 12:02 AM