Work advice - major issues

[Pendulous]

(This is probably going to be super long)

Hello all. I don't normally post here outside a few select threads, but I've been around a while. Anyway, so I'm a dishwasher at a restaurant. I've been there right at nine months. A few months ago, the only other dishwasher quit, after the owner decided to cut hours. They haven't replaced him yet. Through the week at nights, there is one dishwasher, but on the weekend, Friday and Saturday, there is supposed to be two. We only have one, me. On my off days, they have one of the kitchen guys fill in, and on the weekends, they have a prep woman help me. Problem with that is, she calls in...a LOT. She only works those two days each week (she has another job), and yet she rarely shows up. She's also really inept when it comes to dishwashing (yes, stop laughing, there's actually things you NEED to know about it in order to do it). And then that's where I broke. I'm recovering from the flu. Last weekend, I was forced to work the weekend by myself. The first day, I was told I'd get help from one of the new guys (who are training to work in another store, don't ask why because I don't know). Nothing. Day two, not much better, but I felt worse, so it was a worse day. But to know why that broke me, I have to elaborate (I said it, gonna be long):

First, despite being the dishwasher, it is NOT my responsibility to keep the dish pit organized. That falls on everyone else. I cannot spend all my time moving dishes around, because I'd never get done. Everyone knows this. Which is what baffles me, because nobody bothers to give a crap. The kitchen staff will throw pans and trays and anything in the back anywhere as long as it takes approximately half a second to do so. The servers will do the same, and even though they might know better, they don't bother moving anything around. That pan on top of a stack of plates? Screw it, just put more plates on top of it. yes, I've seen stacks of plates fall and some break because of this. What makes this worse? The managers don't care. In fact, our head kitchen manager is the absolute worst at putting crap back there properly. I mean, duck their heads around the corner, and put it in the first place they see, that's what they do. I have given a visual demonstration to most of the managers, including him, and they all completely ignored me. I've tried, over and over, to get them to do it right, and nobody will. And the sad part? It gives me MORE work to do it the wrong way. It's easier, and more efficient, to put dishes in the pit correctly. I'm trying to help them DO THEIR JOBS BETTER and they won't listen. It gets worse. I come in at 5 p.m. usually when I get there, it's a catastrophe. Nobody bothers to do anything, it's just all "throw it in the back and make him take care of it when he gets here".

Everything is this store is broken. The dish machine leaks, and it just so happens to leak right on my shoes. My right shoe has a permanent sloshing noise because of it, and they're brand new shoes. I have to change my entire clothes, including my socks, because of it. Been broken for months. The triple sink in the back is broken. The left sink's drain won't stay open, and the middle sink's drain won't stay open but also won't fully close. Been broken for months. The dish pit and other locations are infested with fruit flies. Have been for months. Our chicken buckets are all broken. (http://i.imgur.com/9cybJ7q.jpg) Imagine trying to carry that full of water and chicken, somewhere around 40 pounds. Our black ones are all broken as well. These contain, usually, dirty dishes (plates mostly) that are to be carried to the back and separated for me to clean. We have a large container that holds the trays we use to cook the wings in the oven. It's broken in more ways than one, and barely staying together.

All right. I'm getting lazy, so I'm just gonna copy/paste this next part, and get rid of the...language. If you want visual representations of all this, gear up. It also means that some of this stuff might be repeated:

What does it mean to work at Wild Wing Cafe? First off, you're gonna have to deal with everything being broken. Take this for example. There is a large container that the kitchen uses to store all the trays that they cook the wings in the oven with. It can hold up to about 50 before it gets over the top. But when it gets up that far, it gets really really heavy. You would think that they would make sure that this thing is sturdy, right? Nah, why do that when you can just make it be the biggest piece of trash ever? Here's a hole in the bottom of one of the corners. (http://i.imgur.com/UtyuCsK.jpg) Here's a crack down the entirety of the middle, nearly breaking it in half. (http://i.imgur.com/HV1qSSU.jpg) Here's another corner that's just....gone. (http://i.imgur.com/SnCemG0.jpg) Think you wanna try to lift that when it's weighing 40+ pounds?

At least the managers are competent, right? Nah, why do that? This is the work of our head kitchen manager. (http://i.imgur.com/vePUJqH.jpg) The first thing you might notice is everything is where it shouldn't be. But take a look in between all those pans and stuff. That's a butcher knife sticking through there, laying partly on a stack of plates. Isn't that dangerous? WHO CARES!!! Who needs logic and common sense when the head of your kitchen is A COMPLETE MORON!!!

Oh, we got a bunch of new people recently. Most of them are training at our store before they go to work at the other store. Apparently, "our kitchen is better". It seems they do not know what our kitchen is like. Are they being trained properly at least here? Not by my standards. (http://i.imgur.com/AdinKgQ.jpg) That's one of many, MANY things they did stupidly in the few days they've been there. I had to tell the closing manager tonight that they needed training on what to do with dirty dishes. Which, if you're paying attention to my rants, is THEIR responsibility. So, I basically told him that the managers need to train these new guys on HOW TO DO THEIR JOB, BECAUSE THEY SURE AS HELL HAVEN'T DONE IT YET. I'm sure they won't see it like that, but that's what the case is.

Fortunately, the servers have gotten a LITTLE better and not being completely stupid. However, they still don't know what a trash can is. See all this? (http://i.imgur.com/u7Kay8S.jpg) Doesn't seem like much, but here's the thing. That spot, right there? There isn't anything there except a trash can. Meaning, there's not people working and dropping stuff on the floor, because that happens when working. All that is stuff they brought to the back, with the full intention of throwing away, but can't because forget me if I know. And that's just one slow night. I've seen much much worse.

I know a lot of this probably seems like little nit-picking, but consider that my pictures aren't very well-timed. Plus it looks a whole hell of a lot worse in person. As I tried telling them before, I can't do my job if every five minutes, I have to organize everything. And I can't clean my floor at the end of the night if lazy servers are just dropping trash on the floor instead of the trash can. Because that's what it's there for.

And crap like this (http://i.imgur.com/FQwrKyF.jpg) is how my pit looks when left alone (http://i.imgur.com/oG00Dz5.jpg) for a few minutes for idiots to "organize". (http://i.imgur.com/BJsZfAV.jpg) Or like this (http://i.imgur.com/9hivbjB.jpg?1) when I clock in, (http://i.imgur.com/U4utMv6.jpg?1) because screw him, right?


Here's the problem, to end this. The managers, the owner (in the case of all the broken stuff)? THEY KNOW ALL THIS. I tell them, time and time again, and they keep ignoring me, while pretending to care. Nothing ever changes. Common sense, logic, compassion, all out the window. I can't take it anymore. But this is the only job I have, and it took me long enough to find this one. I have no idea what to do anymore, and am willing to take any advice.

[The Glyphstone]

Is any of this violating health and safety regulations? An anonymous tipoff to the health inspectors can cause some changes real fast.

[Pendulous]

I'm sure the fruit flies do somehow. Leaking dishwasher could be causing a safety issue, since it does create a puddle under it.

[The Glyphstone]

See what you can learn (without asking anyone in the workplace) about the H+S regulations that you're supposed to be complying with (flies are a bad thing, the puddle probably not). If you can find a concrete violation, make an anonymous report to the health inspector's office.

[Creed]

Is any of this violating health and safety regulations? An anonymous tipoff to the health inspectors can cause some changes real fast.

This is a legit idea. As a culinary arts student, I can tell you that, from those pictures, calling up your local health inspector can get sh*t laid out real quick. For one, it doesn't look like you have a three sink dish washing station which, in states that I'm aware of, is a violation within itself. Improper equipment for preparing (in the case of the busted chicken buckets) food or cleaning dishes (in the case of everything else) can lead to serious fines and more regular visits from health inspectors later down the line to make sure all is up-to-snuff.

If your state has less stringent rules regarding food preparation and sanitation, then there is very little you can actually do (besides every socially awkward gamer's favorite idea, going to talk to the owner), aside from continuing to do the best you can!
https://tytempletonart.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hang-in-there.jpg

[Pendulous]

For one, it doesn't look like you have a three sink dish washing station which, in states that I'm aware of, is a violation within itself.

We have a "triple sink". It sits in the back and is usually used for specific things, like cleaning the grill, and other things that may not fit into the dish machine. Though, being broken, I guess we kind of barely have one.

[Jimorian]

I've worked as a dishwasher, so I get how there's something very satisfying about managing the work area and making things come together efficiently.

But it sounds like unless Gordon Ramsey has a visit planned there in the near future, the owners and managers really aren't interested or capable of fixing this part of their business. So you can either get out, or stop making their job your job.

Running yourself ragged at 120% speed all the time isn't fixing things, it's enabling their bad practices. You've told them what needs to be done, and they aren't doing it, so slow yourself down to 100%, give them a solid day's work for a day's pay, and let the crap hit the fan as it may. If that means they run out of clean dishes during a busy part of the service, then that's on them. If it means everybody has to stay 2 extra hours (and getting overtime) to catch up every night, then that's on them. Unless they're paying you to be responsible for other employees work habits, be responsible ONLY for your own.

They're not fixing these issues precisely because you're working so hard to cover up the consequences. If they aren't going to listen, let them see it for themselves. If they question why things are going badly, just simply ask which specific task they want you to do right now, and then go do it, even if it doesn't make sense. If that means other things don't get done and they complain, all you have to say is you did exactly what you were told.

MAKE them manage so that there's nobody to blame but themselves. If they start giving contradictory orders, just politely say "X told me to do Y, but if you want me to do Z instead right now, fine." When W comes in and wonders why you're doing Z instead of Q, do Q after telling W who made you do Z. Never refuse an order from whoever's in the room, but also never agree to ignore somebody's future orders. If W says "don't listen to X" simply reply "then you need to tell X that yourself." If there's conflicting authority, it's not your job to sort it out, it's theirs.

Best of luck in a crappy situation.

[Pendulous]

Update because I used this thread as a reference. I've been having constant issues at work regarding a certain server. She is constantly leaving large objects in the middle of the aisle where I work. I've complained, like everything else, over and over to multiple managers. Today I said to myself, "that's it". There's this large square...thing...with wheels on it. It's used to hold the racks of cups and glasses, and the wheels are there for easy movement (err...because that's what wheels are for...never mind). This is the main object I have issue with this server leaving out. Because she'll grab the cups or glasses, or wheel the whole thing out (if there's more than one rack, it's just easier for them to do it that way), and then leave it wherever it lay. I decided today that enough was enough. I saw it, sitting there, in my way. I grabbed some clean dishes ( a couple fryer baskets), turned right, and purposefully tripped right over it. It had an empty rack on it (which is fine, best place to leave it). I bruised my knee pretty good, and I have trouble standing on that leg. The store manager and the head kitchen manager both happened to be working tonight, and both came to see what was going on. I screamed, SCREAMED, at them and used VERY foul language to get them to understand that, hey...maybe someone, I don't know, should listen to me.

Some other stuff happened today, but that was the main thing. As a result, I decided that it was time, and filed a complaint with OSHA. I don't know how long that will take, but I hope to hell something gets done about all this BS I gotta put up with.

[TaiLiu]

Hm. My condolences; I hope that you succeed.

[Aedilred]

I screamed, SCREAMED, at them and used VERY foul language to get them to understand that, hey...maybe someone, I don't know, should listen to me.
To be honest, I've never found that a particularly effective way of being taken seriously. It just makes you look either a bit unhinged or that you have no sense of proportion. That might just be me though.

[Chen]

So what did the server say when you asked them to put the thing back instead of leaving it there? Are they too busy to do that?

Intentionally injuring yourself and then screaming and swearing like a madman is probably not the best way to get things to change. You're just going to make people think you're irrational and they're going to take any normal things you say as you being irrational. Seems like it would lead to MORE ignoring of your requests rather than the opposite.

[Pendulous]

To be honest, I've never found that a particularly effective way of being taken seriously. It just makes you look either a bit unhinged or that you have no sense of proportion. That might just be me though.


So what did the server say when you asked them to put the thing back instead of leaving it there? Are they too busy to do that?

Intentionally injuring yourself and then screaming and swearing like a madman is probably not the best way to get things to change. You're just going to make people think you're irrational and they're going to take any normal things you say as you being irrational. Seems like it would lead to MORE ignoring of your requests rather than the opposite.
The problem is, I've said a countless number of times to every manager I can. When I'm lying on the floor, injured, and it's caused by negligence, I felt I had no other choice. Because, saying things over and over and being completely ignored, when it's your safety on the line, has already had rationality thrown out the window. I forgot to mention that the manger gave me some Tylenol because that's "all they had". Doesn't really fixed a bruised knee, doesn't help me from hobbling around.

I couldn't name the server who did, I just know that it's the same one over and over (confirmed by one of the head servers).

[Jay R]

The correct answer to solve your problem is to look for another job. Health and Safety inspectors will annoy the management, but that will not make management magically start caring about you.

And if you ever manage a restaurant, remember this, and care about the people doing difficult jobs.

[Bulldog Psion]

The sad truth of the matter, IMO, is that they view you as completely dispensable. They figure your job is something that they can throw anyone into and it will get done. So, they have no reason to do anything to retain you.

I'm going to echo the suggestion to look for another job.