r/mildlyinfuriating • u/ToastingFrench_ • 1d ago
frist of all how DARE yu o Store manager called out then asked me to find someone to work.
For context, I worked anyways from 2-10. She was supposed to be in from 4-12. She texts me around 3 asking if I can close, I assumed that she meant she just needed to be home earlier and would work 4-10 instead, so I said yes. 4 pm comes, then 4:15 I text her asking if she's still coming in because she's never been this late. She says she's not gonna make it and I can call someone else to come in. SHES the store manager. Not me. I get paid minimum wage.
So I called our GM, explained, and then learned that she didn't tell out GM she was calling out either. Just me. So she's rushing to find one of the three people listed to come in. Its a busy rainy night, at an escape room, on a Friday. We are packed. I was lucky the rush didn't start until around 6, which by then the calvary had already arrived and the night went smoothly. Still irritating though.
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u/linklen2000 1d ago
The text does read like they won't be in at all, at least to me
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u/Mrbazzanator 1d ago
yeah the "im needed at home" seems like theyre asking to cover their shift
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u/Dependent-Trip-5991 1d ago
Yeah thought so too, but doesn’t excuse her not finding supporting coverage, if they’re a supervisor they should know it’s not just about their shift, unless the supervisor didn’t realize op was already scheduled
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u/Ham__Kitten 23h ago edited 22h ago
OP was literally already at work and was being asked to extend their shift to 10 hours which is almost the wildest part to me
Edit: I can't read
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u/Fun-Session7413 14h ago
I've worked shifts that have gotten extended a few times, worst was open to close and it was like 7a-10p, worst day ever fr😂
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u/mosquitogrl96 10h ago
when i was manager of a dunkin donuts i kept having to do 4 am - 9 pm shifts so i quit HDKSBDKSBD
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u/CuddlyIronBoot 13h ago
At my old security job I got stuck working 11am-6:30am one time during covid.
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u/CommodoreDragon-64 11h ago
I had to do frontline Security work at the hospitals during the SARS scare, and it was a lot of 16 hour days and fat, juicy overtime paychecks that mostly ended up getting paid back to the government. Lol I can empathize.
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u/Fun-Session7413 13h ago edited 13h ago
Yeah covid gave me some wild open-closes also, not fun...
Definitely those 8-10 hour shifts that get extended at more "legacy" jobs are rough, worked nights 2p-12a at this resort. I would regularly get out at 2a-3a since we couldn't leave till everything was done, happened all the time, and I'm NOT a night person, so some nights I barely made it home awake. (not safe, I know, but no-one else was on the roads at those times besides city cops)
Those shifts were worse then 15 hour shifts at Starbucks since it was management, and nonstop moving and work around the resort all day to get out earlier. Don't think the pay is worth it for those jobs unless you get to take a slower pace and don't take stress home with you everyday. Got so bad started not being able to go to sleep at the end of the day, knew I had to get outa there after that or I'd be dead by 50.
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u/Discorhy 23h ago
When I worked at good ol Wally World for weeks because an overnight supervisor was out I covered my shift and his. So was doing doubles everyday. I asked about swapping to his but got fed some bullshit line that my younger self just ate up.
Plus the hours helped a lot at the time. But I can’t imagine doing that today.
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23h ago edited 23h ago
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u/HughmongusDixus 22h ago
I think you misunderstood what OP said. OP had to call the GM and say the manager isn’t coming in, which they were not told. The GM then found someone to cover the manager’s shift, aka the cavalry. The manager just decided not to come in, told no one but OP, expected OP to find someone to cover their shift, and didn’t tell their boss.
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u/thirtychirps 22h ago
Yeah this person seems to think skipping work and not telling your boss is ok because ‘everyone deserves a personal day’, nevermind how it affects your coworkers.
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u/Captain_Hesperus 16h ago
Which also makes me wonder, if OP hadn’t contacted the GM, would the manager have claimed they had worked that shift since the GM was unaware of the call out?
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u/MiserableMorning27 17h ago
short one employee in an escape room is basically halving the staff, ive been to loads of escape rooms and none of them had more than 2 or 3 staff members working at one time, so would definitely call for a replacement
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u/Jman460 21h ago
I mean her boss didn’t know she called out which is a big deal. Text should’ve said I won’t be in, but x will be there to help which she didn’t. Shit happens but as the manager you still need to make sure your team has proper support.
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u/pseudotumorgal 15h ago
The manager did not communicate effectively though. And as the manager it was on her to reach out to a team member to see if someone else could come in, not the minimum wage staff member who was working by themselves. The texts are not incredibly clear or direct “I cannot come in today, are you able to close? I am working on finding coverage for my shift.”Be direct to avoid confusion. It’s on the manager to take responsibility.
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u/Cubbance 23h ago
I agree, but it's pretty hard to cover someone's shift if they're already working that shit. So the manager knew she'd be shorting OP and didn't proactively try to get someone else to come in and cover for her. Poor form.
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u/DJTurd 23h ago edited 23h ago
Yes, it does. However, if there need to be two people at all times, and you’re asking the only other person to extend their shift by two hours as “the favor,” why would they be expected to call somebody else in to also cover their shift?
Never mind the fact that they’re the manager who, you’d think, is in charge of staffing.
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u/SamuraiJack365 15h ago
If OP hasn't already been working 2-10 I would agree. You can't ask someone who is already on the schedule to cover your shift entirely. There really is nothing this could mean other than covering for the last 2 hours so that the manager could go home early. The manager needed to get someone else to cover the 4-10 portion of her shift.
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u/keytotheboard 15h ago
Yeah, seems odd to think it’s implied you’re covering two positions at once. It can happen, obviously, but it’s a much greater task that should be spelled out. Miscommunication happens though, just gotta improve for next time.
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u/baguetteonmars 19h ago
To be honest I get that, but actually to me it didn't read like that. Especially that op was already set to work, so to me it's obvious that they'd be one person down and the short fall is between 10-12. But maybe because I'm familiar with shift work the expression "to close" is not the same as "take on my shift" (especially when they're already on shift!!)
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u/bliming1 23h ago
Thats what I thought at first but then op said they already were working 2-10 so why would you ask someone to take your shift who's already scheduled? At that point your just calling off with extra steps. So I get where op is coming from
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u/ToastingFrench_ 1d ago
I def saw that angle, but at the same time if you were calling out don't tell me tell someone who can do something about it. I can't call in another coworker, nor is it my responsibility to.
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u/nipslippinjizzsippin 1d ago
well the manager has you covering their shift, i would assume that make you the manager. thus giving you hat ability (sans pay... of course)
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u/Potential_Bit_9040 23h ago
Bruh, you are the cover.
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u/DipschitzContinuous 22h ago
How is OP the cover if they’re already scheduled. That’s not how coverage works. If they went from two employees down to one because the manager isn’t present, that’s not coverage, that’s being understaffed. The manager replacing herself so OP has another manager on duty staffed with them would be coverage.
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u/mirrx 13h ago
It doesn’t sound like anyone else was there - that’s the problem. Managers in retail do this all the time. I once had to close the store as an associate because managers aren’t supposed to leave early (but they do) and then sometimes other managers don’t come in. People are pretty undependable in retail. Our store had a high turnover rate.
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u/ToastingFrench_ 23h ago
How am I the cover if I'm already at work 😭😭. We need two people on shift. I opened, second person comes in later. If shes calling out as the second person then IM the one that needs cover.
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u/Metalheadzaid 23h ago
Yeah so like it's obvious to me she isn't coming in and needs someone to come in/cover - the issue you're having is you're not a fucking manager or assistant manager it sounds like, so like, as a retail worker making minimum wage you're sitting here like "wtf is going on, why am I here alone."
So yeah, you did nothing wrong. This is on your manager and any assistant manager - you are 100% correct you are not the one who should be calling anyone else in, nor making any plans nor working solo. You aren't even equipped to know what to do or paid to.
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u/thirtychirps 9h ago
Yeah totally, AND if another employee gets called by a coworker (non manager) to come in and that’s unusual lots of folks would be thinking like “yeah you’re not my manager and you don’t have authority”
That’s some uncomfortable shit that the manager put everyone in.
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u/Kiito2000 20h ago
How? They didn't ask them to cover the shift? They asked them just to close, and looking at the later text they knew very well that what they said would not be taken as "cover my shift"
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u/BikeProblemGuy 19h ago
The manager asked OP to close, not cover the whole shift. OP was already on shift so they couldn't cover the manager's shift until after theirs ended, i.e. the final two hours until closing.
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u/nipslippinjizzsippin 1d ago
yea same, if they are needed at home why would they be comming in?
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u/havingaconniption 19h ago
You could need to be back for when childcare leaves. This really isn't an unusual statement.
Someone needs to be coming in, and the manager only covered 2 hours of their 8 hour shift.
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u/Suspicious-Ad-5946 19h ago
Not to me, just that she’s needed at home early. Also, finding replacement staff is the managers job, regardless.
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u/hung-tho 23h ago
i don’t see it that way at all, they didn’t ask them to cover the shift, they asked them to close. OP was already scheduled, just not to be there til closing, the manager was scheduled to close. it absolutely reads like they were still going to work, but just needed to leave early.
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u/Dan_flashes480 1d ago
I had a manager at Wendys that would leave to bang his girlfriend and leave me their till he showed up to close the registers. I called in 2 hours before a shift saying my wife (girlfriend at the time) found out her mom has stage 3 cancer and is going to go see her so I can't come in and need to watch my kids. He said I was the only one that could speak English and needed me on the drive through. I said he could can speak English and could do it but he told me I could be fired over this. I said I quit I don't need this job. ( It was a second job I was going for my electrical license in like 6 months and wanted extra cash for Christmas). He told my I still had to come in I just said bye and ignored the calls.
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u/Emmiey 15h ago
Sounds like typical wendys. They wouldn't let me go to my high school graduation because too many people took off for theirs. Welllll, I quit then because wtf??
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u/South-Outside-9203 12h ago
Lol for real, like what alliance do you think is owed for me to miss my own graduation? Lol losers.
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u/_Prodigal-Son 11h ago
I missed mine because our entire staff were kids too and I had to have other days off that same week so I got stuck working it. In hindsight I should’ve told them to kick rocks and find someone else.
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u/DancinginTown 7h ago
Especially for a regular job. It would be different if it was somewhere that you feel appreciated and know you're going to work there a long time. A high schooler at Wendy's is not likely someone that is going to feel that way. If they're a manager already or really hate their school, maybe. But in general? Yeah, no. And you'd have to be batshit to think otherwise.
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u/limerence03 11h ago
wendy’s fired me because i went to a psychiatric hospital, then a few months later had my senior prom, which i had requested off months in advance, but they scheduled me anyways and when i told them that i can’t make it that day, they said they’d “figure it out” and then proceeded to fire me that night.
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u/pickldmermaid 9h ago
I worked at a JCPenney in high school and they hired a bunch of girls all the same age (most of us went to the same high school even) to work the juniors department. And then when all of us wanted the same day off for prom, they told us nobody could be off out of fairness. So we all quit
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u/DancinginTown 7h ago
What the hell? A guy who worked at the (fast food) restaurant I had just gotten hired for died in a wreck. Literally our entire store minus me and the AM went. A brand new person and AM alone for the whole night. Then the GM switched so AM could go too. Because they were all friends except me. Where these people get off on their crazy shit is amazing.
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u/narrow_octopus 16h ago
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u/Jennrrrs 15h ago
I’m guessing that the manager has a family and OP is young and doesn’t have to worry about taking care of anyone but themselves. I could be wrong tho.
If my manager sent me this text, I’d assume they needed to stay home.
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u/Adorable-Rip3620 12h ago
if 2 people are scheduled to work, you can't ask the 1 person to cover the full shift of the other person. The question should have been "i need to be home, are you ok working & closing alone tonight?"
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u/narrow_octopus 15h ago
That's crazy, if the manager sent you a text telling you that they were going to stay home you would assume that they were staying home? 😂
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u/DIKs_Steeler 13h ago
OP doesn’t seem to mind that the manager is staying home, but they mind that they didn’t get someone else to cover the rest of their shift.
The text read as if the manager needed OP to cover the 10-to-12 part of their shift, but it’s not OP job to find someone else for the rest of the shift, especially since the manager wasn’t clear and didn’t ask them to find someone to else for 4-to-10 (until after it was brought up).
When you miss your shift, you need to make sure someone (or multiple ppl) can cover the entire shift, not just some part of it and think it will resolve itself magically, without asking.
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u/Lyxerttt 16h ago
Yeah, seriously. OP is not beating the stereotype of minimum wage retail workers here.
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u/Brian-Heder 13h ago
Weird we must have a different understanding of the English language
Last time I checked a shift is your full working hours and closing time is just a part of it.
Weirdly most people are not expecting their manager to not understand that you can’t cover an entire shift when you’re already working those hours and it’s weird as fuck to force a random employee to get the managers replacement. That’s literally in the manager’s job title
You and the manager seem to think we have clones or something. Two people were scheduled for a reason Lmao
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u/Shadovan 15h ago
Just a heads up OP, “cavalry” is the horse mounted military unit. “Calvary” is the hill Jesus was crucified on.
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u/Devchonachko 15h ago
aw man you just gave out a clue to the escape room she's plannin
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u/hypnothighsd 14h ago
Gotta rise from the dead and have an angel move a rock before you can escape
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u/Exciting_Surround329 14h ago
“Surprisingly, I wasn’t expecting a fucking hill to sprout legs and rush over here to help me out”
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u/Bad-Luck-Guy 1d ago
Yeah I definitely read this as she won’t be in at all.
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u/McNalienBro 1d ago
Me too, she asked the person to close for her, meaning she’s not coming back.
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u/thirtychirps 22h ago
…As if she couldn’t stay late that night. Not as if she wouldn’t be there at all.
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u/Weliveinadictatoship 14h ago
Yeah whenever someone told me they couldn't close it meant "can you grab my keys and do the last 30 minutes with whoever is on shift/manager" not "my whole 8 hour shift". Say "I can't do the closing shift tonight" if you're not in for the whole shift damn
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u/phoenixnettle75 15h ago
Even if you do take that reading (which is a stretch consideringOP was already at work and by definition cannot cover) Still not OP's job to find coverage. OP isn't a manager and it's not their call-out.
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u/breadboibrett 12h ago
No if someone texts me “I’m needed at home can you close” while I’m at work I take that to mean “I’m not coming in you need to stay until close”
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u/TapeFlip187 21h ago
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u/TapeFlip187 21h ago
Ohhhh wait.... Since you were there til 10 and they should've been there until 12, you thought they meant 'can you handle 10-12 by yourself', not the whole shift..?\ But they meant, 'I'm not coming in at all, prepare to be there by yourself all night'..?
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u/Sonoran_Ghosts_81 13h ago
An escape room is busy enough to have gm and a manager and employees?
Where I’m at, it’s like one dude who owns and operates the whole thing.
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u/Flaky-Confidence-167 12h ago
It depends on the size of the facility I'd say. My sibling once went to an escape room for their birthday, there were several escape scenarios and in the entry room they not only had a waiting area but also a photo op and the front desk, which needed to have someone at it at all times.
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u/Odd-Bend1296 11h ago edited 11h ago
The escape room in my city uses most of an old building. They have about a dozen college students working there and are only open on Fri-Sun.
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u/BlkMushroom 12h ago
The one near me is ran by two people.
Maybe theirs have an arcade or some other activities to keep people busy.
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u/Appropriate-Proof836 2h ago
I’m glad there’s so many people who understood that they were asking OP to cover the whole shift. I get there’s space for miscommunication, but to me it seemed relatively clear. Either way, manager’s being really irresponsible not having notified anyone else.
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u/hero_of_kvatch215 13h ago
The text is pretty clear she was asking you to cover her shift. Idk how it could be read any other way
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u/sgtpepper67 11h ago edited 11h ago
So you think it makes sense to ask someone who’s already working to cover your shift?
If there’s 16 hours of work to do between two people, does it make sense to ask someone to do a 10hr shift? Who does the other 6 hrs of work?
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u/ResplendentOwl 7h ago
I'm about as pro union, pro worker, fuck corporations as they come. I can't speak to whether this particular manager is a sleezeball who does this to all his workers on purpose or anything. But it sounds like a small business, with a small staff. It seems like the manager is casual and (it seems) on good terms with OP. If I were OP, and my manager texted that on a night I was already working I'd understand completely what they meant and just go "Well fuck it then, I'm working alone. Is what it is." Quite often I've worked shifts in my life down a person that couldn't be filled. I'm not sure it's an issue worth making a last stand on. It happens. Nothing worse stressing about, the customers waiting a few extra minutes know the drill. The convo or situation doesn't seem very egregious to me.
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u/Extra-Parfait1528 12h ago
Knowing they work that day. How could her asking OP be interpreted as anything other than pickup the hours until closing.
The manager knows when her workers work
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u/ToastingFrench_ 1d ago
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u/AI-is-infinite 1d ago
Why do you say yes to these things lol
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u/FutureLarge8833 1d ago
Money. Obviously. OP isn't doing it for free lol
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u/ToastingFrench_ 1d ago
Correct. Minimum wage here is 15 bucks, I'm not giving that up. 😭😭
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u/Dependent-Trip-5991 1d ago
To be honest seems if gm said that they talked to the person and wasn’t so nice and wants to make sure store is covered since they held that person responsible.
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u/GoodishCoder 23h ago
That seems like a reach. It could just as easily be the gm reached out to check on the manager and just asked if they would be able to make it in the next day and got an "I'm not sure" in response so they reached out to people to make sure they were covered.
Most leaders are reasonable people that understand humans get sick sometimes.
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u/AI-is-infinite 1d ago
I’m confused. If minimum wage is $15 couldn’t you get that anywhere that doesn’t treat you like crap?
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u/vertical-luau-pig 1d ago
The job market is terrible, friend.
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u/Connect-Idea-1944 RED 23h ago
People don’t realize we’re not in 2013 anymore where you can just quit at 10am and find a new job by 2pm
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u/j4schum1 1d ago
But it's an escape room. Your customers are all there to have fun. Probably a relatively enjoyable job compared to the other alternatives at that pay.
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u/ToastingFrench_ 1d ago
It is such an easy job. I actually love it.
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u/countrymud 1d ago
Take the initiative and go for Amanda's position 😂
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u/ToastingFrench_ 1d ago
She got ten years under her belt here, so while I don't think I'll be usurping her, it makes this situation a fair bit more frustrating.
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u/P4TY 23h ago
Not that I have life figured out, but I mentor people sometimes and I would advise you to stop telling yourself no, and make other people do it.
In other words, ten years doesn’t mean shit. Sounds like this person sucks at their job, and you’re consistently stepping up.
Email this GM person directly and say you’d like to take on more responsibility and grow at the company. Don’t ask to replace this person, but show initiative.
The GM is unlikely to tell you “no.”
But never take on more responsibility for the same pay, of course.
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u/BackgroundParsnip837 23h ago
Don't sell yourself short. If you are already covering for them then you are already doing at least part of the job
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u/lungonion 1d ago
this. sometimes competitive pay isn’t worth dreading going in every day. at my current workplace a 16 hour shift feels is a breeze and feels far shorter than every 6-8 hr retail shift i’ve had the displeasure of working because im not miserable while working there.
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u/lI-Norte-Il 1d ago
How are they treating OP like crap? They're asking OP to work and OP said yes. Communication could be better but that's it
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u/AllTheSuckInTheWorld 16h ago
Managers job to get cover for your shift if youre covering theirs. Unless you have a supervisor
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u/Simsima494 21h ago
Guys, they didnt ask to be covered, they asked if they could close. As in stay late enough to close because it was my job to close. Nowhere does it say "i cant come in/can you COVER my shift, you cant cover a shift you were already working. She didnt ask if they would be okay by themselves AND can close. Asking someone to close implies "you stay late, i go early," not "im not coming at all."
because then you would say I cant make it in and also formally call out, which they didnt because the GM didnt know. You cant just, not show up to work and only notify one person.
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u/PuddingMent 1d ago
She asked you to cover for her because she’s needed at home. How else could you interpret that?
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u/PM_YOUR__BUBBLE_BUTT 22h ago
I’m shocked how many people are saying this here. Did every single person miss the detail that OP was ALREADY WORKING A SHIFT the same day? It’s like people never worked these type of jobs like retail or restaurants or similar.
If you are already on a shift and someone asks you a question about closing, they are asking if you can stay later. You don’t magically become two people if someone says they’re going to be off. The only way the managers question makes sense is staying later that night. I’m baffled how anyone could take it any other way. If OP wasn’t working a shift, then I would take it as they wanted you to cover their whole shift but that’s the only way it makes sense.
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u/thirtychirps 21h ago
I’m baffled too. Apparently everyone is just cool with coworkers leaving and letting them handle everything. Payroll has 16h of work between two people today? We’ll just let one person do it all in 10h.
Do people realize that understaffing makes work suck way more? If working at understaffed locations paid you higher proportionally then maybe it’d be aokay. But that never happens.
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u/thirtychirps 22h ago
“I am needed at home at 10:30pm so I can’t be the one that closes, can you?”
Not “hey instead of 16hrs of employees working between 2 people, today is going to be just 10h of employees working, and those hours are all going to be you because I gotta go. I know you may need help, but I didn’t think to address that until 4:15pm after you texted me. Hope you figure it out though!”
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u/Brian-Heder 14h ago
Weird how you have to remove the word close because it completely changes the fucking sentence.
Close refers to a very specific time during the shift. if she was needed at home all day she should’ve said that lmao
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u/mopeyy 16h ago edited 13h ago
Maybe this is different by area, but where I live, when people say things like 'open or close' they are talking about the whole shift. Open means you start when the store opens, and close means you end when the store closes. Pretty simple.
For example, 'I open tomorrow' means 'I am working the opening shift''. It absolutely does not mean 'I am opening the store and leaving', because that would be ridiculous to assume.
In the same way that saying 'would you be able to close tonight' means 'the whole closing shift', not just the last hour, because that would also be ridiculous to assume.
Not to mention they literally say they are needed at home, an hour before their shift even starts.
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u/GiraffesAndGin 13h ago
Any chance you could close tonight?
"Any chance you could cover my shift and close alone tonight because I am needed at home?"
I thought anyone who has worked shifts would understand what that meant.
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u/TrishasaurusRex33 15h ago
Sure, but how is OP supposed to cover their managers shift until AFTER they finish working the shift they were already working?
Manager didn't say "hey can you run the place alone for 10hrs?" Or mentioned that there was no other coverage between 4-10, when there is supposed to be more staff coming in.
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u/mopeyy 14h ago
No idea.
I'm not saying the manager is in the right for texting a non-management employee about missing a shift.
It is super wierd. Not denying that at all.
I'm just saying the texts themselves are pretty clear, and I understood what she was saying immediately.
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u/Affectionate_Dot2643 23h ago
I understood this to mean they would still be working but finishing earlier as you had overlapping shifts and they just wanted to go home earlier.
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u/Clovert87 10h ago
Probably irrelevant but wat is ortr?
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u/Proofwritten 9h ago
Assuming they meant "orrr" as in a drawn-out or, but t is right next to r on the keyboard
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u/Mapleleafsfan18 7h ago
Just or does the text sound like the manager wasn't coming in at all
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u/ssmit102 14h ago
Some of these comments can’t be from people who have worked a day in their life.
If you’ve worked a couple days you should be able to figure out what the manager meant. It’s quite obvious.
In pretty much all scenarios if someone is asking you to cover a part of a shift they will be quite explicit with it. In basically 99.999999999% of all circumstances they are asking you to cover the entire thing. Thinking otherwise makes you the odd one, not the other way around.
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u/Extra-Parfait1528 12h ago
The manager knows when OPs shift is tho, knowing theyre the manager.
So how could OP cover any part of the managers shift other than the final closing hours. It seems inherent that it would be only the closing hours
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u/Adorable-Rip3620 12h ago
... how can you cover a shift of someone when you're already working the same shift as them. 1 person can't do double the work - that's not covering the shift, that's doubling the indiviuals workload which should be clearly stated in the ask.
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u/Spare-Half796 3h ago
If you’re not working and they ask you to close, that’s asking to take the whole shift. If you’re both already scheduled and they ask you to close, it means just the close.
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u/LongJawnsInWinter 12h ago
It’s crazy to me how many people are trying to decipher the manager’s text and what she could have meant to decide if OP was right or wrong in their assumption. Manager intentionally worded the text to be confusing. She wanted OP to misinterpret it as only covering closing so OP would agree, she could then claim she actually meant the entire shift needed to be covered so it was just a miscommunication which also explains why it’s not a problem that they didn’t find shift coverage.
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u/BlazeBitch 22h ago
I mean. I'm needed at home 100% reads as not being able to make it in.
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u/Physical_Dance_9606 14h ago
To me it reads “can you stay late and close so I can get home” not “I’m not coming in at all”
I get is a matter of interpretation but my reasoning is the Manager knew not showing up at all would leave them one person down between 4-10 on a rainy Friday night, so why contact someone that was already working if they need the full shift covered? Surely they should have contacted one of the others in the first place
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u/GritstoneGhost 21h ago
Only on Reddit do you just get a load of actually I'm more literate than you as that's not how I read that message rah rah rah. This place sucks most the time these days. People just want to be contrairian or angry.
See people saying you snitched. When you did the right thing and called the next in command. The manager should be fired for breaking process.
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u/ToastingFrench_ 20h ago
I think the funniest part is that ppl are arguing about what her initial message read, but that's not even close to the point of the post. Whichever way you frame it, whether she wasn't coming in at all or she wanted me to close, I wasn't the person to tell 😭 With the message that "these people MIGHT be able to come in" I can do fuck all but call the GM and have HER call them in.
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u/GritstoneGhost 20h ago
Exactly. I have a feeling half the clowns replying have never worked retail.
I have a theory that you could make two posts on her identical aside from choosing the opposite side of the argument and you would just have each post filled with nah you're wrong.
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u/donharrogate 17h ago
The manager should be fired for breaking process.
Complaining about redditors then immediately calling for someone to lose their job over nothing
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u/MayorWolf 20h ago
People really got the wrong idea about why you don't snitch. There are a couple of good reasons not to snitch. Being a tattle tale is rude and no one will like you if you tattle on everyone. Your momma teaches you this one. The other is the honor among thieves bs, where if you snitch on other thieves, that means no one can trust you on jobs with them. This applies to most criminal activity.
It doesn't apply anywhere else in life. Especially at your work where someone's trying to walk all over you and earn a pay cheque at your expense. Anyone telling you not to snitch and to instead be a pushover is inexperienced in life.
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u/ToastingFrench_ 19h ago
After thinking about it. The GM does payroll. There's zero way she wouldn't know regardless. "Why does Amanda have no hours for Friday?" Was bound to happen
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u/madshine 13h ago
This place used to be cool. I don't know what happened but it sucks.
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u/mr_glide 23h ago
I can't see that she gave you any reason to assume what you assumed
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u/thirtychirps 22h ago
Because she didn’t get coverage for the rest of the day she skipped out on. That is a reasonable expectation, so OP assumed that they were just asking for help in letting them leave early.
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u/Brian-Heder 14h ago
Iwhy would you assume your manager is trying to make you work alone all day? it’s literally their job to keep track of the schedule
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u/Kiito2000 20h ago
Why are so many people saying that the first text reads as "cover my entire shift", because it does not, and even if it was supposed to be that, then it's still 100% on the manager for saying it like that and not doing their job(managing the store to make sure it runs smoothly).
Anyway OP, you did nothing wrong, don't listen to the idiots saying it's on you for "misunderstanding", it's very likely the manager knew exactly what they were doing sending the first text, then now showing up at all.
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u/tarasaurus-rex 15h ago
This was definitely some poor communication on your manager’s part. The most charitable read is she’s having an emergency and is unable to come in and unable to call around for a replacement. It’s happened to me that my manager has been in that situation but she needs to communicate that to you in the beginning so you’re able to do it if you can or she needs to call the GM herself.
Asking someone already on shift to stay late is not covering your shift.
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u/SuccessPositive191 9h ago
“I’m not going to make it” makes it pretty clear she would not work the shift. I can’t imagine why you would assume it means i’ll have to leave early. Manager should have arranged for others to also cover the shift.
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u/lasagnatasteslikeshi 4h ago
what about them asking you to close (end of shift) made you think they would only be two hours late to the start of their shift….?
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u/hexexxa 4h ago
OP thought that the manager was leaving early (at 10 instead of 12). but instead the manager didnt come in at all. they should have said ‘can you and so&so COVER my shift’ not ‘can you close for me’
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u/LFPenAndPaper 19h ago
How are all these people in the comments thinking that asking your coworker who's already on shift to "close" means you won't be coming in at all?
There's no mention of "on your own". And the fact she later mentions people who could be covering - why did she not reach out to them if she needed cover?
Supervisor probably assessed the situation at home and thought she could work, but leave early.
Then things escalated at home and she did not come in. But the first message 100% asks if they can swap shifts, not if OP can work on their own.
If she had instead asked "Can you work till 12" (which is close), how would that communicate she's not coming in?
If your boss asks you if you can work till 12, how would that make you go "Oh, on my own, got it"???
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u/chungusamongos 22h ago
Am I the only one who read it the same way as OP? If OP has the first cut then I would assume the manager asking them to close means they want to swap shifts, not that they’re not coming in at all.
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u/GaiaMoore 22h ago
I'm with you.
Most people ITT are blasting OP because how dare she think it's unreasonable to be left completely alone to handle multiple escape rooms parties by herself until 1:30-2 in the morning
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u/Embarrassed-Site3242 21h ago
100%. Manager didn’t ask if she could fly solo. She asked if she could adjust her schedule and close instead of first cut.
At the VERY least I’m thinking she got someone else to cover her shift- but that person couldn’t close. I my work the first cut shift.There is no world I’m thinking “can you close tonight” means “can you work alone; I won’t be here at all”
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u/MakeMeDrink 1d ago
They are literally telling you they need to call out and therefore are asking you to work. Then you agreed to work. Next time say “no” if it is an issue.
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u/Lissypooh628 13h ago
Why would you assume they were coming in for any portion of the shift? The wording sounds like they were calling out when they said “I’m needed at home”. But you are not the person they should be calling out to.
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u/HelpfulAnt9499 9h ago
Nah this did sound like she just couldn’t close. Not that she wouldn’t be there at all.
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u/Kitchen_Magazine_458 19h ago
Lmao bunch of office workers here who prolly never worked weird hours. If you call out and ask the person to exted to closing it still means ur short one staff. Why does she gotta do extra and die cause of a last minute call out? I stg 9-5 ppl are prolly the worse of them all
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u/Top_Stretch_2340 21h ago
As a scheduling manager, I prefer the precovid "quiet quiting" over the "ill be there when I can even though I'm scheduled".
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u/RilinPlays 15h ago
I mean your manager should’ve been the one to reach out to people but idk how you missed they weren’t coming in at all lmao
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u/Adorable-Rip3620 11h ago
because when a manager schedules 2 people on a shift, one person calls out - the expectation is not that the one employee now does the labour of 2 employees - the expectation is that the person calling out or manager gets someone to cover their shift that isn't already working.
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u/Mcpops1618 22h ago
If my boss texted me with those emojis or emojis at all I’d know I’m out.
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u/That-Assist-7591 20h ago
Everywhere I worked people texted emojis or gifs in group chat. Just touch grass and you will realize how common that is
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u/ToastingFrench_ 22h ago
LMFAO i didn't even realize how odd those emojis look esp coming from a manager. 😭✌🏾
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u/Appropriate_Donut590 23h ago
“I’m needed at home” what about them saying they’ll be home is telling you they’ll be coming in. What a terrible lack of literacy
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u/thirtychirps 22h ago
“I need to be home early” was my initial read.
Manager is the one that suggested people to call for help. Manager knew needing help may be necessary. They didn’t cover their own shift anyway.
Imagine if OP was already closing this day. Manager presumably would have just never said anything (since the only thing they asked about was closing) and not come in when scheduled. Is that reasonable?
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u/Snoo-69774 22h ago
“I need you to close” close. Close.
Not “you’ll be alone all shift” But instead “you’ll be the person closing up”
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u/Baeleron 19h ago
I didn’t get the emojis but my manager would never handle finding other employees to cover shifts. It bewildered me that she made me literally chase down coworkers or try to get their numbers from other co workers to get a shift covered or have someone come in, blew my mind.
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u/JackfruitSea2274 12h ago
This is the most air force thing I’ve (retired air force) seen that wasn’t actually air force. Excellent delivery by this boss.
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u/DarkStarDiscGolf 11h ago
If I'm already AT WORK, I'm reading this text as im covering 10-12 for them. The close. Cover your own damn shift
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u/ButtonTemporary8623 4h ago
That text is painfully clear they won’t be in at all. YOU were the coverage for them. You tattled lm your boss, surely throwing a wrench into that relationship, because you don’t know how to read and comprehend.
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u/Coffee_exe 4h ago
Lmao “im needed at home” “yea I can” bruh you are their coverage can you not read?
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u/ImWhy 1h ago
I get that people are like "it's the managers job to deal with this" but I'm going to give benefit of the doubt and say there was an emergency they didn't want to get into and figured that their employee was capable of managing the situation themselves. Their message absolutely reads like they're not coming in at all. OP you've just thrown your manager under the bus when they likely had something going on that was important, idk why people are siding with you when this is the exact opposite of people looking out for each other. Has this manager ever done anything wrong by you? Or is it just the general hatred for "bad managers" that people have where we're ignoring that there are good ones too?



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u/BluMqqse_ 1d ago
I would've assumed first text meant they could not show up period. What does ortr mean?