you're fired
i got fired from the restaurant.
no, i'm not kidding.
it was (and still is) a nightmare.
FIRED.
i never, never thought i would experience such a thing--hubris, i suppose.
-------------------------------------------
anyway--as promised, here's what happened...
(i'll tell you the short version, because there's no way i can imitate their voices over the blogging world. you would definitely need to hear the accents, etc. if i gave you the long version.)
the servers at due aMESSe's (it's really due amiche's) are required to give the hostess/bus-girl 5% of their tips every night. now, i really love gabby--i do. i didn't mind SO much about the $ because i care for her and because really, five percent is not a lot. i've always seen every single server give closer to 10% (or more) of their tips, probably for the same reason i have-- i mean, who is really going to pitch in three QUARTERS out of their $15.00? we've almost always felt inclined to give a couple dollars each. besides, if we don't, we get berailed by alex...which brings me to friday night...
he came at us with gabby's $ (the $ we had just given her) in his hand. he was, of course, yelling at us--saying we hadn't given enough $. there were five of us, and we had given $10 total. well, figuring that each of us made around $25, the amount we SHOULD have given was more like $6--not 10. perhaps the right thing would have been to fork over more of our money...but we have never thought it fair that they require us to give her some of our "hard-earned" money when she's making minimum wage and we're only making $2.15/hr. [everything's always been so shady there--from the hand-written "personal" checks to the illegal aliens working there, one of whom used to hit us up for part of our tips, as well. every aspect of that place, really, is at least somewhat corrupt.] so once again, i step up as the unofficial server spokesperson...i told alex what i just told you--that we always give more than the required 5%--and usually we give closer to 10%. then he started yelling at me personally (yes, in front of everyone) asking me how much $ i had given gabby on tuesday night when i did so well in tips (yelling out specific amounts of tips he had seen)...anyway, i'm getting into the details.
it all ended this way:
i calmly said, "alex, you know what we make, but we've never known what gabby makes; you and bruno have refused to tell us. that's fine, but we do not think it's right or fair that you require us to compensate for her salary."
(as a side note, every time one of us has asked, "but isn't she making minimum wage?" they've retorted with something like, "that's none of your business," or, "if i wasn't paying her, she wouldn't be here.")
in a tone like he was about to reveal some huge act of generosity, alex screamed back, "do you know what i pay her?! i pay her $3.50 an hour!!"
i quickly replied, "well, then that's illegal."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ILLEGAL?!"
"unless they're in a serving position, you're required by U.S. law to pay your employees at least minimum wage."
(now, perhaps i should have researched that a little, but i think i'm at least somewhere close to being accurate.)that's the moment when alex screamed, "take your apron [off] and leave!!!"
"am i fired?"
"yes, you are fired right now!!"
-----------------------------------
so, that's it. there are a lot more details--some of which i honestly cannot even remember. it was all such a blur; i truly wish i had a videotape of the whole thing or something. the bottom line is that i called him on something that he knows is wrong, and i believe he got scared. i mean, i really think i saw fear in his eyes. i know for a FACT that one of the hispanic employees there is an illegal alien; all four of them (including gabby) very well may be, actually. the logical thing would NOT have been to fire me--most people would have gone to such-and-such-authority the next day with that information, especially after having been (unjustly) fired. i'm still not sure what to do about all this. the advice i've received has ranged from "you need to take care of business" to "just walk away." i don't know what my response should be. i know i should be socially responsible, but i'm also called to love--above everything else.
one good thing that has come of all this is i can now relate to someone who has been fired. i would have never thought it would feel the way it does--it's such a blow to the pride, it's humiliating, depressing, shocking...
for now, i'm adjusting to life with one job (well, two if you count pampered chef), to being able to actually go home at 5:00. that's a weird feeling. although i only worked at the restaurant for 2 1/2 months, i feel like i worked there a LOT longer than that. my time there was horribly stressful, emotionally distressing (i would even be so bold as to say emotionally abusive--i know it seems harsh, but those two men do NOT know how to treat their employees)...i really am glad to be free of it.
anyone know of any available part-time evening jobs NOT in a restaurant? :)
