I just would like to know how you would deal with this if it was your boss?
I work at a bar/ grill 2 blocks from my house. Its perfect because we only have one vehicle. My hours are 2pm/ 5pm - 10pm/ 2am ( depends on the day and if Im cooking or bar tending.) So M & Th I only need daycare for 2 hrs. Those are the plus side to my job.
My boss is struggling so instead of putting in more hours at the bar working he got another job. He talked about me and another girl working together to run the place. He got the job and texted me that night he needed me to be there at 2 the next day ( before this I never started before 5). Ok I had someone lined up "just in case" thankfully. He has yet to tell the other girl what her responsibilities are even though we have asked him MANY times. So she doesn't do anything.I don't blame her... if he can't tell her she shouldn't have to figure it out on her own... like I did. He has yet to actually sit down with me and tell me what day who gets the order/ delivery or what product comes from where. I have figured it out on my own.. by trial and error.
on top of my regular hours working there... I now have to do all of the inventory, ordering ( some times he does it other times Im suppose to read his mind and know he didn't do it. He doesn't verbally tell me or I get a text at 6am telling me I need to do it). When doing the ordering I have to go in early to do it, usually have to bring one if not both of my little ones for the 15mins phone call. If something was missed or ordered wrong he flips out on me. He has me keeping in contact with all of the bands he has set up. Get their flyer's made up ( on my computer/ ink... during my time at home). He had me make up all of the mailers he sends out monthly... again on my time at home and print them out ( usually changes atleast 3 things.. and reprint 3x then sends it out to get the 300 copies made). Then I have to take it to the post office to mail. I have made all of the new menus and print out enough ( 10, 3 pages each) because he didn't want to go to a print shop for 30 pages. Im suppose to set up and invite people on facebook for the bands... but he wont make me an admin to the bar's page... so Im not sure how Im suppose to send it to all the "fan's"... I was told to figure it out. He told me to do the schedule for the month. So me and two others that have been there the longest sat down together and did it. He took it home and changed everything we did! So a waste of all of our time.
He texts me ALL day starting before 6am some days. I have a tracfone so Im loosing minutes. He doesn't come in and talk to me. Everything is done by text messages or emails on facebook. He gets VERY nasty and cuts me down ( well everyone that works there) if things aren't perfect or if you have a question. Heaven forbid if you do mess up. Its nothing to be told your f*&king stupid ( yes his words) He wants me to be in charge and do all of this but he turns around and redoes so many things or changes it at the last sec and then its my fault because he didnt tell me he changed it. I guess I should have known. Then the condescending comments come out again. Its more like a power trip than things that are beneficial to the bar. He will change peoples schedules the day before. We have to call in every day to see if we are working. If someone wants a day off ( I know its a night/ weekend job, but we have lives outside of work) he has to confirm who we switched our shift with. If we don't he flips out instead of being happy we figured it out on our own.
Oh I forgot to mention... all of this for $8 an hour. I am the lowest paid person there, everyone else is $9/ hr. Including people that started after me. Plus he doesnt compensate me for what I do at home. I spend over half of my time home on work related things instead of with my family. I am suppose to have e/o Sat off when I have my boys. I have yet to see it in 3 months. Even though I have the schedule to work out where I can have it off, he changes it so I have to work for what ever reason. I figured it out and my two boys that I have 50/50 with my ex... I see them a total of 14 awake hours a week, on my weekends... WAY less when its thier dads weekend.
If someone needs off and can't find someone to switch I will do it for them. Sometimes I work double shifts. Ifs not for my boss, but for them... like I said we have lives out of work. They have done the same for me when I need off at the last minute. I have worked 14 days straight with double shifts ( he scheduled it that way) when we haven't had enough people to cover the shifts. Right now I have a full time job and a part time family. Instead of the other way around. Quitting is not an option. We need the money.
How do I get my boss to see everything I do and start paying me my work I do at home or all of the running around I do? All of the 15-20 min of having to go in and do what ever he is requesting at the time. The hours spent on the computer making what ever he wants. Time on my home phone, making long distance calls to who ever. There is no long distance at the bar. Most importantly, since I am running his bar... a raise?! He says its not possible.. that's why he had to get a job.
I know this is probably more of a rant.. Im tired of talking him more than my husband and seeing the inside of his bar and my regulars ( that I do care for) more than my family all for $300 a week.
I should add the reason he is struggling is not because the bar isn't doing good its because he has an addiction ( in my opinion) to craigslist and the buy/ sell pages on facebook. He buys so much crap! Plus anything Packer that he comes across he buys. His wife told me that the reason he got the other job was to have more spending money for his hobbies ( buying things). So he could pay me more and spend less on his hobby. Plus he goes to Packer games and atleast 3-4 outdoor jams a year. If he was hurting so bad he could cut down on 1-2 band every weekend at $500-$1000 a pop. Plus every Packer game, he "buys" shots for the intire bar every touch down... or if he think a shot will help them if they are doing bad. He gives away over $200 in shots every Sunday. I think that is why Im so fusterated with his lame excuse of not giving me a raise.
Sounds like he is using you. Have a face to face with him...or call it quits.You are doing the job of management.
.
You can't get him to see it. You need to find another job. If you can't you need to understand that this is the job you are stuck with and start to cope.
It sounds like he is overwhelmed which shouldn't be your problem but apparently is. It also sounds like financially the only way he can give you a raise is to fire someone else. He only has so much money coming in, no one is going to lose money on a business even if they think you are worth the raise. Not sure if he would do that but can you live with knowing one of your coworkers was fired for your income? These are things you need to consider if you stay there.
Another idea that may work is tell him I will take over and find you savings. You have to be able to do that mind you. What that means is figuring out ways to cut down on business expenses and bringing in more business. I say this because it sounds like the business is going under so you may lose your job anyway. So the deal would be you find savings you get to keep half in a raise.
There are so many employers that pull this its not even funny.
You have to put your foot down and tell him that your job description is to cook or bartend the hours that you are scheduled. If he wants you to do these other things then you need paid for the time and items that you are using at home to do what he is supposed to do. If not then you will not be doing them.
By the sounds of it, he can 1 not afford to lose you so he will have to give you a raise or compensate you for your work outside of work, 2 make someone else do all this and the worse case scenario he may fire you. But again doesnt seem like he can really afford to lose such a good worker. There is no reason that the one who is making the least amount should be doing all this extra work. What he needs to do is appoint someone to a manager status teach them all the things needed to run the bar. If not I would be looking for a new job as he might be having to shutdown soon. I dont see you having a problem getting another job with your work ethic.
Good Luck
I think you're missing all the red flags here. You don't get your boss to value you in this situation. If your boss is struggling financially and taking on extra jobs, has you running the show while he's elsewhere, chances are real good it's only a matter of time before you're finding another job as well. That place is sinking and sinking fast! It's only a matter of time before he's shut down. Especially if you suspect some type of addiction at play to boot.
In fact, it sounds like a real miracle he's still able to pay you $8 an hour...and I'd go as far as to guess he probably thinks he's doing YOU a favor by still paying you and giving you the chance to help save your job/place of work by putting in all of those extra hours.
This is no time to complain about his behavior. I think you need to start finding another job ASAP if you need your current job to make ends meet. It sounds like by year's end, your boss and his bar will be done.
It's totally up to you as to whether you want to keep helping him out. Maybe with you and the other staffer's help, you'll turn things around. But if he's having mood swings, working extra jobs, and all of that....he's probably well past the point of being able to save the business. He's probably at the point where he's trying to salvage what he can financially so he won't be homeless by the time this whole thing is over and his business is in full-on bankruptcy.
Sorry you're going through this. But really, find another job while you're still making some money. Lighten up on the dude, or if you can't take it, leave now. Sounds like he's in for a very rough and painful ride. Hopefully, you have enough time to keep from having the same situation yourself. Jobs are tight and if transportation is an issue, you may not have much time or many options available to you. The economy stinks, jobs are scarce as so many are unemployed and willing to take anything they can get, it's Christmas time and people want to get presents for the kids, and so on... I say no more complaints about the crabby and over demanding boss...forget demanding more pay or respect because it sounds like your boss is no position to provide you with either. Instead, read the signs and plan your next financial move now.
You have got a lot on your plate both at home and at work.. It also sounds like you have some awesome skills... Normally, I wouldn't up and say so quickly, it's time to find a different job and I guess I won't this time either.. However, I might suggest this.. come to terms with you aren't EVER going to change your boss.... that is something he has to do.. Also, write a list of the TRUE pros/cons of a job... if there are substantial pros that outweigh the cons, then perhaps it's time to truly take a step back and re-assess your thinking.. and consider the things you can change and the things you can't.. in other words, suck it all up and just do the job. IF on the other hand, there are far more cons than anything, then consider looking for a new job while you still have this one.. this way, you have some leverage...''
good luck in whatever you decide
Do you want to keep this job with more management responsibilities? If you do I suggest preparing in writing what is involved, what you can do for them, suggestions to improve efficiency as well as cost control and your expectations (pay for work at home, a raise, going to Kinkos for copies, Cell phone compensation, a semi-reliable schedule, access to FB...) and schedule a meeting in advance.
You need to professionally command respect. I get that you are at a bar and grill but you can put together a 30/60/90 day plan and blow him away. I know you have a life outside of work but businesses think they are first (most of the time). Don't focus on his Craigslist or FB "addiction" or Packer games, that is totally not relevant.
If you want to keep the job and improve things, make it happen. You can always use the management experience and move on after a while.
First, he can spend his money any way he wants. You can't control him but you can control how you react.
This bar is going to go out of business, its just a matter of time. So regardless, you will be unemployed. I would suggest you start looking ASAP. Next, keep track of all expenses. At the end of the month, submit an expense report with your costs of your cell phone and any other items you personally paid for. I don't know how you keep track of your time but I would put down all the time you put in as worked time. Next, review the FLSA law. If he is having you perform all these tasks, you are working thus he owes you for your time. Its very simple.
In the end, you are not going to change him. He is what he is. He is not going to appreciate all you do because he doesn't see that you are doing it. He is making changes to what you are doing so in his mind you aren't doing it.
I didn't really read all the other posts, but it seems to me like your only option is to get a different job. I understand that you can't afford to quit, but I was hoping you could look around and find another job and THEN quit. It really can't be hard to find something better. You should be able to get a job that pays $10 an hour at the very least with much better conditions. It sounds like you have some very valuable skills. It should be easy to find something as least as good as this. No one should have to put up with what you are putting up with. Please get another job and let us know!
