fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2528 ]

[ SECRET POST #2528 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2528 ⌋

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Wasn't going to post, actually, but whatever. I'm tired and... yeah. I'm bitter and (at the same time) apathetic, I guess I can talk now nobody's going to read it. I just want to tell someone, even if I know that at this hour, it's not likely anybody is going to read it.

Basically, I was a chef at a Russian Café in my neighborhood. I was good at my job. I strived to always do more than I was asked to do, and to improve everyday. The only thing against me was that I was, sometimes, some minutes late to my job; because I have a sleep disorder and also used to be Agoraphobic: getting out of the house is still somewhat difficult to me. Despite that drawback, after therapy and with several well-timed alarms, I managed to be almost-always on time and ready to start every morning.

But my boss' husband hated my guts. And she, this OMG STRONG RUSSIAN LADY is a sexist idiot who listened to him. This guy berated me in front of her every time he could, and I swear I have no clue on why. I was doing an outstanding job, or at least, the most outstanding job I could under my conditions. Cooked awesomely, cleaned everything, the kitchen was spotless. Whenever it was my turn at the cash register, there was no random amount of coins lost or anything. I even devised a new system for the tips so we weren't just taking cash from the box until closing time came.

Now, the café is on the verge of closing. All the restaurants and cafes on the block are on the verge of closing: It's summer here, and the city council has our street closed to do some renovation works. The Peruvian restaurant? Broke. The BBQ crossing the street? Broke. Even the grocery stores. Even the fucking "cafés con piernas" (barely disguised brothels in which scantily clad women serve coffee to men, isn't living at the downtown nice?) are closing down.

My boss and her husband, they needed a scapegoat to take the blame. I got fired. Now, I swear I would've understood if she had told me "we're on red numbers, I'm afraid we can't keep two employees, so you have to go". No bitterness, I would have understood. It's a rough situation. We still had very busy and productive rush hours at lunchtime, but sometimes, 4 hours or more would pass and nobody would've entered our little Russian Café. I was actually worried about that the whole month.

But what did she said? "My husband watched you on the cameras inside the place, and he saw you giving a client the wrong amount of change. If you've done this, it means it's happening all the time - you're giving people the wrong bill so you can rob us from the cash register with no trace".

I've never, EVER, stolen anything. I would never, EVER steal from a place I work in, either. I /wanted/ the café to thrive. I was emotionally invested on it, used to be a regular when it opened. It was my first job as a chef, and the Russian lady and I, we used to be friends. I'm... I'm not even /sad/ I was fired; I'm FUCKING ANGRY AND RESENTFUL because I'm being wrongly accused of being a thief, and Mila's (the boss) face of "I'M SO DISAPPOINTED, I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU!!1!!" was so fucking UNDESERVED.

If I wanted, I could sue them. Because I worked there for a month and they didn't give me a signed contract, which is against Chilean law. Nor paid me the full month I worked there, only an 80%. If I wanted, I could be an EVEN BIGGER BITCH and sic Health Inspectors into their place. The café was located into a Very Old Building in the heart of downtown (more than 200 years old), and as such, it had cockroaches and rats despite my best (and my coworker's) efforts to keep it clean.

But I just... I just feel slighted as fuck, y'know? And resentful, yes, but I don't want to be the bad guy and screw my nice ex-coworker helping close down the place he still works at, or screw Mila (because she's pregnant and almost due). So right now I'm just taking my meds and going to sleep and I don't want to wake up until it's waaaaaaaaaaay late tomorrow. Hopefully feeling better about the whole ordeal.

Just... Well. The boss fired me, and she's going to work at the café until she has the baby. I swear I don't wish her harm, I actually want her to succeed, but if she actually has a look at how things go everyday there, that'll show her it's not my fault the place is going down. /That the whole street is being harmed/, and that there are no clients after 3 PM. In my heart, I know I'm right, and that I've never ever taken a single cent from the cash register. Maybe I made a mistake once! Or even twice! But actually going out of my way to /rob her/, like she accused me of doing? I just wish I weren't so angry, I do want to be the better person here. But what she told to me was so fucking offensive I can't even believe it yet.

/ends rant

Edited 2013-12-05 03:49 (UTC)

Oh my god that's absolutely horrible, I'm so sorry you've been fired over something completely made up and not for(as you said) something that you would have understood. :(

I would've understood :( I was scared and knew something like this would happen: We needed to make around 170 USD daily to keep the café afloat, and we were making around... what, 90 USD? It was bound to happen.

It's the "YOU'RE ROBBING ME" thing what's making me so angry. Specially because she actually told me "We were going to fire Sebastian (my coworker - a good guy, very hardworking and kind), but my husband said you..." and then she accused me of stealing from the cash register and I'm like. What. I can't understand it. I used to be a regular at this café, y'know? Turned down several job offers in other areas to specially go work there because I /want/ to be a chef, and I wanted to help Mila, who is pregnant. I can't handle how unfair this is.

*SIGH*

*offers internet hugs, and cookies*

Thanks, honey. They're deeply appreciated <3 *hugs back*

I'm so sorry this happened to you! It's bad enough that you got fired, but being falsely accused of trying to steal from them would make me feel so angry and helpless, so I can imagine what you must be going through right now. *hugs if wanted*

Hugs are very much welcome! *hugs back* I need to think this better in the morning. I've been thinking about it the whole day, should I claim the 20% of my salary they aren't giving to me? Maybe I'm being just too soft - can't keep my former sympathy for Mila from business. (There's a voice inside my head chanting she's preeeegnant, and having health complications, just leave things beeee). It was such a nasty conversation... And, though I bet her husband is behind this, she's no saint either. I just don't think it's moral to do harm (even indirectly) to a pregnant woman? I don't know what to do, honestly :(

Being pregnant doesn't give a person carte blanche to treat others like crap or break the law. You are legally entitled to your full wages for the time you worked for them, and honestly, I feel like she ought to know how badly she treated someone who was a loyal employee who worked hard for her. It's not harming her to insist on your rights and let her know that she hurt you. I'd probably have trouble doing this myself, because I have anxiety and am terrified of confrontation, but the best thing you can do for yourself is to insist on your rights. Get together any documentation you have regarding the hours you worked, and give her the chance to make things right with your wages; if she doesn't, take her to court. If she didn't want to deal with a legal fight while she was pregnant and having complications, she could have avoided it by the simple expedient of not abusing her employees. Your trust in her was violated, not vice-versa. You deserve better. <3

This. I'd also insist on seeing the tape where they said this occurred. If you want to keep working as a chef in the area, her accusation could get around. I'd be even more concerned about that, and I would protest the unfair accusation vehemently, especially since you know they can't prove it.

Otherwise, it sounds like you're well out of there. Having an employer who hates you, for whatever reason, is a losing prospect. It doesn't matter how perfect you are, they will find a way to get rid of you. I've seen it happen too many times.

da

The reputation/reference thing is what would have me the most worried, truth be told.

Gossip in the industry/neighborhood aside, if you submit your curriculum to a new job and they call this lady... yeah. I'm not sure what is the thing that should be done to clear up that possible damage on your reputation, though, sorry. :(

And yeah, definitely demand all of your wage and consider calling the inspectors afterwards -- rats and cockroaches! D:

Agreed. Get your 20%. They're the thieves, not you. Though I wouldn't use blackmail, like some others downthread are suggesting.

Re: Got fired this wednesday.

(Anonymous) - 2013-12-05 22:36 (UTC) - Expand

If she didn't want to deal with a legal fight while she was pregnant and having complications, she could have avoided it by the simple expedient of not abusing her employees. Your trust in her was violated, not vice-versa.

+1000

Yes! You should claim the lost salary. The friendship is over so you're not preserving anything by refraining.

I am so sorry. Hugs

Much agreement with all the people who are warning you not to be guilted into accepting less than the pay you are owed. You won't be taking money from them, because that money isn't theirs--you earned it and it's yours. And you can't blame yourself for making trouble for them either, because they made it for themselves. No one forced them to cheat you, or fire you on what sound like completely made-up grounds. I'll also second the suggestion that you insist on viewing the "incriminating" tape; I'd bet good money that it doesn't even exist.

Based on posts you have made here before, I have the impression that you are sensitive and extremely anxious to be fair and do right by everybody, and that you have a history of giving way to people who manipulate you with guilt, even when you've done nothing wrong. Please don't feel that you're being selfish and wrong to stand up for yourself.

Maybe I'm just petty, but I say fuck her. It seems pretty obvious from this and your previous post that she's appeasing her husband or failing to see through his bullshit. Either way, you have every right to make them give you what you are legally owed, and I would definitely report the pest issue. 1. Do not fuck around with food. 2. Sometimes, in order for karma to occur, we must become its agents.

Is there any way you could write her some kind of letter expressing your feelings--that you never stole a cent and that even though you understand being fired because of money issues, you don't deserve the false accusations? even if you never sent it, maybe you'd feel better.

honestly even though this is a very unfair situation, I think your conscience is kind of right about shutting down a new mother's place of business. I don't know anything about the chilean government and whether or not there is reliable unemployment money for people, but money aside it's added stress to an already stressed person, and the baby might end up suffering. but of course, do what feels right.

I hope things get better soon! best of wishes to you.

(on a somewhat related note, once at work some guy called the store and told them that I had given him the wrong change and that I ripped him off 20 bucks. I had to be taken off my drawer so they could count it in front of everyone, including this guy I hated who was obviously watching in hopes that I'd get in trouble. luckily the guy was wrong and my drawer was perfect, but it was still so embarrassing and hurtful to be accused. this is where I can really feel your pain. :/)

That really sucks! *hugs*

Oh, man, I wish I had good advice to give you. I'd be pissed as hell, too.

I want to tell you not to let your sympathy for her situation get in the way of getting what you deserve -- your pay -- or even a little bit of revenge for reporting them for the other things they've done wrong like no contract and ROACHES, OMG. And I want to tell you to make them PROVE that you were stealing.

But at the same time, I don't know how those actions might make you appear to other restaurant employers you might want to apply with. But then again, you don't really want to use Russian Place as a reference if they're saying you stole from them.

So yeah. I guess I'll just send hope for you to sleep well and have a better tomorrow.

That fucking sucks and I'm sorry. :(

That is so, so, so unfair. How dare your boss accuse you of stealing just to make herself "feel better" or justify it to herself or whatever, about having to fire someone. It sounds like she was just taking the stress of closing out on you, when in reality it is the situation. It's not your fault the entire street is tanking. It sounds like you really took some slack for them (not forcing them to sign you to contract, etc.) and they took you totally for granted.

I think that they will learn what a good thing they had going with you very soon, but that doesn't help you feeling slighted now very much or make up for your bosses' behaviour.

If I were you I'd probably try to get my wages. Maybe tell her that she COULD get in trouble for the rats (you know, like, "honestly, I worked my ass off for you, didn't push you to sign a contract ... it just hurts to be so badly treated by you when I have never stolen from this place. If I wanted to give you guys grief I could have called Health about the rats...I'm not going to even though you were extremely offensive toward me..." etc.) I probably wouldn't have the guts to do that bit, but I would definitely try to get outstanding wages. You deserve that much at least. :(

I'm sorry, that really sucks. It's horrible to have someone question your integrity, but you KNOW you're not guilty of what they're accusing, so don't let it get you down.

As for the cockroaches and rats? Definitely sic the inspectors on them. That's not revenge, that's a public safety issue.

Oh my god, that sucks and you are totally justified in being pissed off at her. That's just so immature and fucking childish of them, just so they can feel better I guess at night for firing someone and/or feel better at burying their heads in the sand at the seemingly inevitable fate of their business.

Not to mention if you really want to keep moving forward in the food industry, it screws over your chance of going into your next job with a good reference. D:

I'd definitely try to get back your missing 20% (maybe fallback on notifying the health inspectors if they put up a fight about it). I don't think demanding your fair share of wages is vengeful at all. It's what was promised to you and you need money to survive, just like everyone else.

(Also I was about to late!respond to our mini work hours thread from Monday, and now I'm really glad I read today's threads first because otherwise you probably would've thought I was a total dick.)

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear. I know how frustrating that is, when they accuse you of doing something. I don't know if it's just to make herself feel better, but it doesn't matter. You should totally be offended. You're totally ok to be angry about this, because it fucking sucks. (Excuse me.)

I'll only say I agree with what the person above me said, about saving the inspectors in case they don't want to give you your full wages. Anyway, no more unwanted advice.

Lots of hugs and happy thoughts, maybe a muffin if you want one. They're fresh.

Wow that sucks, I don't really have any advice that you haven't got already, but I hope you can find a new job soon and don't let this drag you down. Because it is not your fault!

*hugs*

ijole, que mal. Lo siento, mija.

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