Woman Calls Out Café Owners For Shady Practices

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mattstaff
Mar 1, 2021 2:00 PM EST

There's nothing that quite grinds one's gears like reading about a maniacal business manager who misplaced their moral compass and decided that they'd try to take advantage of hard working employees that don't know any better. It's some of the scummiest behavior that human beings can end up subjecting other people to, especially in the service industry. The woman in this AITA story asked folks whether or not she was in the wrong for alerting her old coworkers to why she quit the gig. People seem to be in agreement that what she did was nothing but righteous. 

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  • 01
    Font - 17 AITA for telling my coworkers why I quit? Not the A-hole | (21 F) started working at a coffee shop about two months ago. I loved it when I first started, it was hard work but enjoyable and I made good tips. I liked my coworkers and the owners as well. For context, the owners are a young couple. The owner am referencing in this is the wife, let's call her V.
    via u/EmptyPomegranete
  • 02
    Font - Yesterday, when I was working my shift I saw some things that make me wildly uncomfortable. To start, the "manager" that works there (i'll be calling her M) does all the duties of a manager, but is not technically one. I found out that she is being paid 9 an hour- which is less than half of what Starbucks managers make (this is a family owned shop in a wealthy part of town). It's criminal how they pay her. It's also important to note that the shop is severely understaffed. Before I quit t
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  • 03
    Font - Anyways, aside from the pay thing, yesterday while I was on shift I witnessed V yelling at M about completely mundane things. It was extremely inappropriate and degrading. The way she talked to M made it seem like she was a child- not the grown woman who keeps the shop from falling apart. It made me so uncomfortable to see the owners treating the MOST valuable worker they have with such little respect and regard for decency. I have a no tolerance policy for things like this in the workpla
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  • 04
    Font - Additionally, the owners tried to implement an illegal practice that's requires employees to pay drawer shortages. It's illegal in my state to do so unless written consent is given and only if the deduction doesn't make the worker go below minimum wage. This wasn't an issue until my drawer came up short 7 bucks Friday night. They tried to make me pay it even though everyone else also worked that day, I just had the responsibility of counting the drawer. They ended up dropping the whole th
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  • 05
    Smile - Anyways, I quit this morning. I decided it would be appropriate to tell my friend who recently got hired (but hadn't started yet) what happened, as well as the highschool age girl I worked with there. I thought it would be important for them to know about the treatment going on.
    via u/EmptyPomegranete
  • 06
    Font - I'm afraid AITA because I think what I did was right, but I also might not have been my place to contact my co workers and tell them what happened. If they quit the place will go under, which I don't feel that bad about because it's the owners fault they treat staff badly, but I still do feel a little guilty. AITA for potentially causing a shop to close down and for contacting my co workers? UPDATE: Thank you for all the kind words. After I quit I felt more confident about the situation,
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  • 07
    Font - UPDATE: A lot of comments are suggesting I make the report anyways. I really want to do this. The only issue is they will obviously know it was me, and i'm afraid of retaliation of some kind. They know where I live because they had to come pick up the key to the store (the owners locked themselves out) from my apartment at one point (which weirded me out but that's another issue). I know it's unlikely that anything would happen but I am nervous nonetheless and not sure exactly what would
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  • 08
    Font - starchy2ber • 1d • Partassipant [1] 1 Award Nta. Younger staff (especially if it's a first job) may not know their rights or know that being berated for small mistakes us not accepted in the workplace. You did good to warn them. If the business fails that's the fault if the owners poor management skills. G Reply 1 1.8k 3 ...
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  • 09
    Font - pieldriver • 1d ·Colo-rectal Surgeon [30] 3 11 Awards "That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P.C. Hodgell NTA. If the owners of the coffee shop are treating their employees in an unsustainable way, they are the ones who will deal with the fall out. That being said, I highly doubt that you speaking frankly about your experiences working there will lead to the shop's closure. Best case scenario, they have to start treating their workers better. More likely scenario - they c
    via u/EmptyPomegranete
  • 10
    Smile - 2 Awards NTA. If they don't want everyone to quit the owners should 1) not deduct wages 2) pay people properly and 3) not understaff as severely. Like it's not your fault that the owners suck. What goes around comes around. G Reply 893 ...
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  • 11
    Font - Aradene · 23h 3 2 Awards Absolutely NTA - but you would be if you didn't still call to report them for underpaying and making staff cover the till. I get we are in a pandemic, but the reality is these laws exist for a reason and l'll by my bottom dollar they are claiming every grant and kick back available during the pandemic to help themselves. The manager needs to know that she is entitled to way more and should sue for the difference (who knows, she might end up owning the shop dependi
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  • 12
    Font - LovelyTina2218• 1d NTA They are literally sabotaging themselves while breaking the law. You did the right thing. Especially telling the high schooler as younger workers tend to not be aware of the full scope of their rights when working. Go on to greener pastures and don't feel bad for possibly inclining others in the same direction. And even if the place does go under, if they cannot manage it and need to so severely understaff the establishment to make a profit, then you are not what di
    via u/EmptyPomegranete
  • 13
    Font - Clarisse1984 · 23h • Partassipant [3] NTA Your motivation for quitting a job is not confidential unless you sign something. Warning people about a terrible workplace is not prohibited unless you sign something. They can't come after unless you say things you know to be untrue. G Reply ...
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  • 14
    Handwriting - reddituser009911 · 23h NTA. Ah, the ugly side of small businesses. Tell everyone. It's a business, right? People need to know what their money supports. Shoot, I'd even boycot them next small business Saturday, but l'm jaded. G Reply 10 3 ...
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  • 15
    Organism - WritingNerdy • 1d NTA - I always try to think of it as, what would you want your coworkers to have done if they were in your shoes? Would you want them to inform you about shady business dealings? It will suck for them if they decide to stay at the job and it ends up going under, but that isn't your fault. G Reply + •..
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  • 16
    Font - K_R_Omen • 20h This is the type of business that calls themselves "small" and swear that a wage increase will demolish them. It's obvious their treatment of staff will be their downfall. G Reply 6 ...
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  • 17
    Font - blackskymetro· 20h NTA in the slightest! You made sure to warn people about their sketchy behavior before you left instead of leaving them in the dark G Reply ...
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customer service employee Reddit illegal karma wtf restaurant
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