'I'd be paid $6 an hour': Bar manager rebels against lazy boss who gives him an ultimatum, gets fired because he refused to work extra hours below minimum wage

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Apr 7, 2023 1:30 PM EDT

Have you ever worked for tips before? When you work a job where tips are your main source of income, that becomes the primary focus of each day capitalizing on how to get more tips. In some cheapskate states, restaurants are allowed to pay you LESS than minimum wage because it's expected that you'll be making more in tips on top of that, thus making restaurant work a "minimum wage job" again. * huge eye roll * As everyone knows, that's not guaranteed so the loophole they created pretty much sucks for all blue collar folks.

One bar manager, who was running a privately owned bar pretty much on his own the last several years, recently came face-to-face with exactly how much it sucks to be a "tip earning" employee in the state of Michigan. u/ozadzen, let's call him 'Dennis' worked for years under both lazy GM and borderline alcoholic business owner and generally never had a problem with them because of their absence. Tips were good, they never bothered him, so he stuck around. However, this week, his gaggle of useless managers banned together and decided to get the team in on doing a couple days deep cleaning for the bar. Service would be closed to guests and employees were expected to work for two consecutive 10 hour days at their HOURLY rate. 

For Dennis, that meant he would be making $6/hour– half the standard minimum wage in Michigan.

Cue the ultimatum. The management noticed how upset their staff was about this (who wouldn't be pissed?) and instead of hiring a professional cleaning company like a real business, they made the spring cleaning mandatory. Anyone who opposed would be fired immediately. Dennis wasn't having that. He had had enough of their hooliganry and decided to take a stand. He refused to come in, has joyfully accepted his termination, and already has interviews lined up for a new job. 

Sayonara! Good luck running this bar without the one person who was doing all the work. 

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  • 01
    Rectangle - S r/antiwork. I'm going to be fired on Monday.
    via u/canva
  • 02
    Font - I run a small bar in Michigan. I run said bar in everything except pay lol. I have a general manager who works on average 10 hours per week. I have an owner who I've never seen do a single thing other than drink Busch light by the gallon.
    via ozadzen
  • 03
    Font - The tips are even good enough that I don't complain about being paid $6 dollars an hour. I now find out we are closed Monday and Tuesday for spring cleaning. By the staff. For $6 dollars an hour. For 10 hours. For two days!
    via ozadzen
  • 04
    Font - Myself and the other night bartender have said absolutely not, and we have been told we will be terminated if we do not show.
    via ozadzen
  • 05
    Font - On the bright side this has given me a week to job hunt, and boy is there a lot of opportunities out there right now. I've already had two interviews and have another two tomorrow. One of them during the hours I am scheduled to work. Wouldn't you know it, I think I feel a cold coming on.
    via ozadzen
  • 06
    Font - NachoProblemz. 23 hr. ago Guess he'll be having fun doing that cleaning himself, or paying a professional 10x that amount to do it. Some of these owners are so f ing stupid, it shocks me that they can even have a functioning business with their incompetence.
    via NachoProblemz
  • 07
    Human body - ozadzen OP 23 hr. ago Apparently he feels he can pay us $6 an hour for any job functions he chooses
    via ozadzen
  • 08
    Font - Tar_alcaran 12 hr. ago Some managers treat "oryourfired" as a Harry Potter spell to suddenly make an employee do things they refuse. 334 Reply Share odaal 11 hr. ago Avada yourefiraaa!
    via Tar_alcaran
  • 09
    Human body - tabooblue32.8 hr. ago Wingardiam leavayourkeysandbadge
    via tabooblue32
  • 10
    Hair - topfourpair 8 hr. ago HARRYDIDYOUPUTYOURNAMEINTHEGOB LETYOUREFIRED!!?!????
    via topfourpair
  • 11
    Font - qtg 10 hr. ago the boy who was terminated has come to clock in
    via qtg
  • 12
    Font - throwawaystriggerme 9 hr. ago I love reading stories where a manager threatens to fire an employee, the employee bounces, and the manager is all like "no wait I was kidding hahaha, isn't threatening your livelihood funny? (Please don't threaten mine)'
    via throwawaystriggerme
  • 13
    Font - Enron_242 7 hr. ago I think YOU became the boss that day
    via Enron_242
  • 14
    Human body - flowerfromwonderland 12 hr. ago They want a slave. Not an employee.
    via flowerfromwonderland
  • 15
    Rectangle - Jenetyk 18 hr. ago Paying!? He just won't clean it and move on. Cleaning was a luxury for him because he could make you do it for pennies on the dollar.
    via Jenetyk
  • 16
    Font - jrp55262 9 hr. ago The health inspector has entered the chat
    via jrp55262
  • 17
    Human body - TheGrunkalunka 23 hr. ago tell them that if they fire you then you will not come to work anymore
    via TheGrunkalunka
  • 18
    Font - So emueller5251 - 16 hr. ago This is what generational wealth does, it creates incompetents with easy access to money and an inflated sense of self-worth.
    via emueller5251
  • 19
    Rectangle - Postnarcissim. 16 hr. ago Good news is, they can pay you less than $6 an hour. Bad news for them is that they have to pay you at least minimum wage for non ripped duties like cleaning for a whole day, so if they don't, you can report them to the labor board.
    via opstnarcissim

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Tags

mandatory ultimatum bar getting fired boss antiwork bar-manager jobs fired manager lazy spring cleaning revenge work terminated i quit slave-wages quit restaurant determination minimum wage Horrible Bosses Reddit deep-cleaning blue collar service industry working out
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