Be Excellent To Each Other

Except just now, you doofus.

Stuck in a loop now

Right Said Fred's only number one... Which is a pub quiz question a lot of people get wrong.

[makes a note for the cottage quiz]

DAMN YOU BRIAN ADAMS!

Was it his family that made you want an Amiga?

Awful godforsaken place

Proper grim up north

Has he moved?

He popped by once, but wasn't allowed in the house.

And he left rapidly. Lots of driving to do

Didn't even pickup the bags.

Standard.

Had a fire drill at work today and we are all dead.

Every fire exit was blocked from the outside. One was nailed shut.

Was it Grim...?

It certainly wasn’t cheery when they all died…

And now you know why the previous chef left - "wouldn't it be a shame if someone... Left the gas on?"

Well done for addressing the problematic staff in a more adult fashion!

Seriously? Like, really? That's utterly appalling

Yeah. It was farcical. It’s sorted now, but it was absolutely awful.

That's mad. My job involves stuff like this and that'd basically get us all fired.

Until last night, I had not had any alcohol since NYE. I had far too much to drink last night and today I am useless. FFS!

Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I found out a couple of days that’s there are only two process and policy documents in the business, and that’s the FSA standard one for the kitchen and the 30 page setting-specific document I wrote for the kitchen standards and procedures. Literally nothing exists for the wider business (I found this out as I wanted to cross-check what I thought would be some overlaps to test they matched up).

So, that’s how I am meeting with the owner on Sunday to start work on a process document for the entire business.

Step one will be a daily safety walkthrough by the manager.

Honestly, the business is improving greatly, but there are some glaring holes.

There is a big inspection due in the next few weeks. I’m going to stick around and do what I can to help get them through this, and then reassess whether it’s something I want to stick at.

I work 15 hours a week. It’s not much. And I get paid pittance. But I’m actually working way over that. I calculate I worked about 50 hours last week, 35 of them off book. And I’m exhausted.

But I’m going to do what I can because I believe in doing things right, and then once everything has settled either drop right back to the basics of my role or decide whether to leave.

I hope you're getting paid for your overtime. If not, you're not helping anyone but the person who should be paying your wages

I dunno, man, if someone said to me "do you fancy working for sub minimum wage, in a death trap of an environment, with toxic coworkers?" I don't think I'd be too up for that, let alone wanted to help.

Yeah. That sounds a bit much, Mimz. You were hired to make tasty food and now you've become their Health and Safety Compliance Manager? For no money?

Not really into the sound of that.

Echoing the above. As a business owner I'd be mortified to find out one of my staff members worked 50 hours for 15 hours pay.

It might feel "right" for you to do this but ultimately the responsibility to do it right isn't yours unless you're being paid fairly to do it.

You’re being too generous with them, Mimi.

I could understand if you were helping out a friend or have been promised a bung for your help further down the line but from what you’ve described of the place they’re taking the piss expecting this of you.

My dad once said to me "If you work for free, you'll never be out of a job..."

They're properly taking advantage.

Yeah, I get that. I know it, and I do need to set some boundaries defined. I find it difficult though, you know. I don’t want to say I’m easily manipulated because that makes me sound pathetic or mentally lacking, which I’m not, but I do have a long-learned and difficult to break history of not being able to say no, of people pleasing, and of crippling perfectionism, so I won’t cut corners or take the easy route. I’ll work at something until it is perfect.

I do know the owner and have known them for a few years, and I do want the business to succeed. And no, I haven’t been paid for the extra hours. I did get a day (3 hrs) in lieu but then spent that time working, which is a tiny part of where I reckon I’d managed to rack up 50 hours last week but only paid for 15.

I think the owner is in a mess. I think their staff are unreliable and lazy. I think that’s improving; they’ve bought in some new people these last couple of weeks, but I’m going to reassess what I’m doing soon.

The manager did say they’d make it up to me and my family after things have calmed down, so I don’t know what that looks like, but we’ll chat on Sunday.

Just to echo what the others have said, I wouldn't do a single thing extra, without confirmation in writing that they will be paying you for the stuff you've already done as well as all the other good things that you *could* do for them.

It's pretty obvious that they badly need the help.

No, they don't need "help", it sounds like they just haven't fucking bothered.

Well if any of you want to employ a very thorough remote worker for 15 hours a week and not take her for granted, drop me a line.

I think I’m scared of losing a friend.

I get that, but a proper friend wouldn’t take advantage like this

It sounds like you have a hobby here and not a job.

I’ve started about twenty posts, and keep deleting my words. I don’t know how to respond.