Work Issues

[delaneyanne28]

I already tried talking to family about this but they didn't really help that much so I was hoping someone would see this and help.

I feel like I'm on the verge of getting fired. I'm only 19 and I work at a sub place so it's not the end of the world but I really love working there and I don't want to leave. 2 days ago, one of the shift leaders pulled me aside at the beginning of my shift and sat me down at a table. She proceeded to explain to me there have been a lot of complaints regarding the sandwiches and ticket times(this particular sub shop gets a ticket that we look at when making the sub so only the cashier has an interaction with the customer). I primarily work on the set up station which is all the dressings and produce that goes on the sub(lettuce, tomato, etc.) It was the first thing I was trained on so I like to think I'm pretty good at it. She asked me if I was comfortable working set up and asked me if there was anything I wanted to explain. I was take aback by this whole convo so I didn't really explain myself that well and I regret that a lot. Now I'm not one to throw my coworkers under the bus but I don't understand why everything was my fault. I work the morning shift and there is normally 7 other people that work with me. Yet I was being solely reprimanded for apparently slowing down the whole operation. This has got me thinking that my coworkers were complaining about me. Which makes me really sad because I love my coworkers and I don't want have a problem with any of them. She went on to say that I don't take the imitative to clean or check the cleaning chart when we're slow. Which is complete bullshit because I do clean every day. I'm kinda on the quiet side, meaning that I just like to keep my head down and do my work. So just because I'm not loudly professing to everyone what I'm doing, doesn't mean I'm not doing my part. My shift leader should be doing a better job of looking after everyone, frankly. After this convo, my whole day was ruined and I felt like I was going to cry my whole shift. And I don't even know if my coworker noticed or they just didn't care. This felt like some sort of warning and that makes me scared because I really don't want to lose this job. I went in the next day(which was Wednesday) and I was trying really hard and trying to make them notice that I'm a hard worker. And it was going great until we got a lunch rush and I was working the first station which puts the meat and cheese together and into the steamer. Something got messed up and the steamers were out of order and it took them a while to get everything back on track. I felt like it was my fault and my boss was blaming me for little mistakes and just making me feel like shit, as if I already didn't. I'm starting to feel really out of place there and I feel like my coworkers know something I don't. And to add insult to injury, 2 of the guys that have been there a lot less time than me are being trained for shift leader and manager. My boss also called me yesterday and told me I didn't need to come in to today, which was going to be an 8 hour shift(and more $$$ for me). So overall I only ended up working 2 days this week for about 8 hours.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong so if anyone could give me some advice or encouragement that would be really amazing.

Thank you️


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[smars27]

Eh because I don't know the whole situation I don't really know if you're doing something wrong or not or being scapegoated/getting blamed for what other people do..I wouldn't be surprised if one or more of your coworkers were the ones to throw you under the bus (when it was actually them and they were trying to shift blame), because they might think you will take it. Your cashier could also be giving you guys the wrong information as well.

If they set u aside and didn't fire you, maybe there is something you can improve. But I would start looking for another job just in case, or try and talk to your boss again and ask what you can do better. Or even ask your coworkers if you feel comfortable enough.

You should honestly know how you're doing, by how many times the sandwiches you get back are yours (have complaints, unless they don't have a system to keep track (and tbh they should). Some people are also better at "making sandwiches" even if the ingredients are the same. I had a sandwich shop I loved, but only when the woman was making them and not the two guys. If you're quiet I'm going to have to warn you, that people that are more social/get along better with the boss are going to get more preferential treatment than you, and they also are able to *whisper in their ear/skew their perception more". There's always workplace politics and favorites where you go though so IDK.

That being said, if they don't address the correct root of the problem and solve it, they will be the ones sinking in the long run. Don't stay on a sinking ship, if you're not the anchor. Do what you think is best. Good luck.

[xoxo_anonymous]

Awh this sucks I once got called out by my manager for not looking cheerful enough at work (clothing store). I was actully having a really shitty week t the time, but I honestly had no idea it was showing so much at work. So I would encourage you to do a little self reflection: is there something that might have been influencing your work without you realizing it? I'm definitely not trying to sy you're the one to blame, but sometimes others (supervisors, for example) notice things about you that you hadn't even noticed about yourself.

Understandably, the feedback you received might make you feel more uncomfortable/insecure at work. Don't let it get to you! Every day is a new day, and yeah maybe you messed up something on one day, but that doesn't mean anything for the day after and the next! Try to view every time you go to work as a new start.

And above all: request another meeting with your shift leader/supervisor! If you feel like you weren't able to explain yourself well, then you should allow yourself the chance to try again. Be as hoenst and upfront as you can be: tell them you have gotten the feeling that they ar enot satisfied with your work, and you would like to improve yourself but are not sure what improvements they're looking for, as you're alwys doing your best. This will give them the opportunity to tell you pricesly where they feel things are going wrong. And ask them for examples if you're not sure what they're getting at! This will either allow you to understand more concretely ehat their problem is, OR it gives you a chance to explain to them that these particular cases were not your fault (but be careful! don't try to seem like you're blaming everyone else but yourself for things going wrong or be overly defensive).
I think requesting another conversation will not only help you to solve the problem, but it also shows you really care about your job and you're taking it seriously, which is always a good impression to make IMO. Best of luck to you and let us know what happens next!