The Joys of Minimum Wage Work

Published on July 5, 2005 By Gideon MacLeish In Current Events

Well, I have officially logged two weeks as an employee of a Major Fast Food Chain (to be referred to hereafter as: MFFC). Besides giving me a wealth of writing material if I ever again discover enough free time to write regularly, it has revealed to me the stark change in minimum wage employment since I first entered its ranks nearly two decades ago.

In the late '80's, jobs were largely hard to find except in fast food restaurants. Most of the employees you found in those restaurants were employees at the beginning or ending of their career; management personnel were rarely older than their mid 20's. While there were, of course, always scheduling conflicts, you usually knew about a week ahead of time when you worked.

Not anymore, and not for MFFC. Let me detail for you my experiences since starting there.

After my interview, I was told they would schedule an orientation and call me back before 7:00 pm. At 6:45 pm, I called back and was asked to be in the following day for orientation. So, I showed up and the assistant manager had no clue I was supposed to be there and put on the wrong training "video" (actually, a computer program; fortunately because the nature of the job at MFFC is pretty generic, it wasn't a big problem). I was told to be in the following morning. No problem.

So, I come in the following morning and they scheduled me for the morning after. Again, no problem; trainees pretty much have a spotty schedule. And so it went for the rest of the week. The schedule for the following week; however, which was supposed to be up by Thursday, was not up by the time I left on Sunday, and so I had to call back at 6:00 pm Sunday night to find out when I worked next. They only had the schedule made up for Monday, but put me on the schedule for Tuesday. Again, no schedule for Wednesday by Tuesday, but the manager put me on the schedule for Wednesday before I left. When I left Wednesday, no schedule for the remainder of the week. I called back later at night and was told I wasn't working Thursday. I called back Thursday night to find out if I was working Friday. I was. Friday I was told I would work Saturday. Saturday at the end of my shift I was told I would work Sunday.

Again, on Sunday, no schedule when I left. I called back Sunday night, was told I was off Monday, but there was no schedule for Tuesday. I called back Monday night, was told I was off Tuesday but there was no schedule for Wednesday. And now, I must call back tonight.

Now, ordinarily, this wouldn't be so bad. I'd be inclined to quit this job except, as mentioned in my previous rant, we seriously need to get a better car. And so I have to abide this day to day "on call" BS for five lousy bucks an hour.

But the good thing is, I'm not stuck working with a bunch of people half my age. Most of my coworkers are my age or older, and in the same boat.

Ain't life grand?

Comments

Zoomba

on Jul 05, 2005

I never understood the magical scheduling problems at part-time jobs. I fell victim to the ever-shifting-never-written-down schedule at a job as a dishwasher. I talked to the other dishwashers and we all had set free times to work, there was no mystery and it generally didn't change week to week. Turned out that the manager, in order to appear busy to the higher-ups was spending every week coming up with a different schedule, with known conflicts that he would then have to "mediate" throughout the week.

I managed a computer lab with 5 other employees for an entire summer when the lab was open over "undetermined" hours. Meaning I had to schedule 6 peoples shifts for a lab that we didn't know when it would be open or not (teachers could schedule it up to the day before they needed it). Somehow, I, a lowly 18yr old fresh out of High School managed it without a problem.

Danny Bassette

on Jul 05, 2005

I thought I had noticed fewer articles from you of late, this would explain it. I hope the scheduling issues get straigthened out and the job goes well for you.

Death_By_Beebles

on Jul 05, 2005

It seems like whoever is making the schedule isn't doing their job right. Whatever the case is, I wish you the best of luck, and hope your car worries will be over soon.

ParaTed2k

on Jul 05, 2005

Glad to see you are willing to do whatever you have to do to get what you need! Sad to see that it has come to fast food!! ;~D

My son worked for a fast food place last summer. The scheduling was a lot like what you describe except the managers got tired of getting phone calls from employees asking about when they'd be working next. Instead of getting off their fat butts and actually making a workable schedule, all they did was put out a change of policy....

"It is not the job of management, or your fellow employees to take time out to answer your questions about your schedule. Knowing when you are to be at work is YOUR responsibility. No member of management or employee will interrupt their work to answer your scheduling questions. The schedule is posted in the manager's office, come in and read it yourself.

Apparently laziness is a top down problem.

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