Coffee shop manager working 90-100 hours per week gets forced into 2-week vacation by store owner, blocks his number: '[Things] started going wrong the next day'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 25, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

This worker got the ultimate revenge on the coffee shop that was scheduling them for round-the-clock shifts. 

The best part of working at a coffee shop must be making yourself free drinks. You can probably pour a beautiful latte in a heart shape, or you discover the best "secret menu" drink that you can make for free any time you want. That part sounds amazing… but the hours, customer base, and bad management can all sour an otherwise good job. 

Working at any job for between 90-100 hours per week could ruin even the best of workplaces, which this exhausted worker knows all too well. Check out the full tale below! 

Up next, read about these workers who had that sinking feeling they were about to get fired, such the time the "[Hotel housekeeper] left the hot water tap running. 3 rooms were flooded because of that." 

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  • 01

    "Force me to take 2 weeks of unpaid time off? Have fun running the place without me"

    I used to work at this one coffee shop, my first chain coffee shop after working only at local or family run ones. Simply put, it was h I. Owners would micromanage everything without knowing anything about how the business ran, never listened to their staff, and only cared about the money. Typical out of touch owners of a business.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 02
    I was hired to replace a manager that had walked out of one of their locations, leaving it with only part time staff. I was told I was being hired on as the "acting manager" until they either hired someone else or they felt I would be a good fit for the position after my 6 month probation.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    I won't go into everything that went wrong because there's a lot but to summarize, it was literal hl. I was expected to cover all no shows (which had me working 90-100 hours a week), I wasn't allowed to fire anyone no matter how many things they did wrong (someone actually showed up to work drink and I still wasn't allowed to fire them), and any changes I wanted to implement were shot down (like replacing old parts in the espresso machine, shortening our hours to save money on labor, bringing in
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    I was stressed, over worked, and irritated as h I when the owner comes in to talk to me about sales for the store. We weren't making enough to warrant the hours I had scheduled and he wasn't going to pay me any more over time. I would only work the hours I'm scheduled and if someone no showed, I had to have someone else cover those shifts. I tried to explain to him that I only came in when no one else would cover, it just so happened that the people he allowed to continue to work here had terrib
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    On top of all that, I had to learn the ropes myself. There was no one to train me so all the managerial knowledge, ordering, scheduling, I learned myself. No one other than me knew how to order coffee, had the numbers for the repair guys, anything other than making coffee and using the til, I was the only one that knew. He wasn't hearing any of it. Owner: "All I'm hearing is excuses. This is your store. If you can't handle running it. I'll start looking for someone who will."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    Me: "Wasn't that the plan though? It's been 3 months since my probation period ended and you never gave me the manager position so I assumed you were looking for someone to take over." Owner: "I think it's in your best interest to take some time off. Start thinking about your position here and whether you actually want to start moving up (I had mentioned in the interview I was looking forward to working my way up in the business)."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    Me: "I can't. There's no one to cover me." Owner: "You're taking this time off." Me: "Is this a paid break?" Owner: "No, consider this a time out for you to get yourself sorted. Take the two weeks to rest and we'll see what your position will be like when you get back." Me: "Owner, I can't really afford to take that amount of time off. I can't even take 2 days without having to come in and cover."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    Owner: "Don't worry about the business. right now. It'll run without you." Now, to put into perspective, I was basically the manager at that point. I made the schedules, I did the orders, I knew the codes to the safe and the alarm. I wasn't allowed to hire someone to assist me and no one worked enough time to be able to cover even half my shifts. I knew this, the staff knew this, customers knew it.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    I made sure to block all work numbers and spent those 2 weeks looking for another job. I managed to find one after a few days that paid significantly more. I sent my resignation email to payroll and the owner (knowing he never checks it), deleted my account off the POS system (being a manager means I have access to it from home) and spent the rest of the leave catching up on well deserved sleep, having blocked all work numbers. I'm not getting paid so I'm not working.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    According to my coworkers, sh started going wrong the next day. One of the openers didn't show and the next staff member didn't have keys. Owner wasn't answering his phone so they left a message. Owner didn't show up until one of the regulars called asking if the place was closed down. He showed up 4 hours after they were supposed to open. Orders weren't done, inventory was missed, 4 no shows, you name it, it went wrong.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    Owner tried every way he could to get a hold of me, even using a customers phone to call me (too bad I didn't answer any calls that weren't in my contacts already). After 2 weeks, I turn my phone back on and get a call the same day from Owner. We agree to meet the next day.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    Owner: "So, you've had some time to think." Me: "I have. It's really given me perspective on my position here." Owner: "We can start you back on your normal hours for now and we're looking for a manager to take on more of your responsibilities." Me: "Oh, that's good. I'm actually quitting."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13
    He was silent for a few minutes. I think he was waiting to tell him I was kidding. S ks for you buddy, I'm serious. Me: "I've already e-mailed payroll and removed my log in from the computer. Here are my keys. Good luck." And I left. Owner tried calling me a few times but stopped once I told him to check his e-mail.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 14
    I was on okay terms with some of the staff that worked there and apparently majority of them had quit after I had left. Owner did find a replacement pretty quickly but without anyone to train them (owner didn't know anything about running the business), they were f ed from the get go and left pretty soon after they were hired. My petty a is always checking reviews from customers and employees and they have consistently sucked for the past year and seem to be on a downward trend over the past yea
    via u/[deleted]
  • 15
    TL;DR: Owner forces me to take 2 weeks unpaid leave, place goes to sh and I take that time to find a better job, land said job, give my 2 weeks via email knowing he won't check it, and quit the second my vacation is over.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    EDIT: Holy sh thank you everyone for the awards! I finally got to premium! Now my avatar gets a sweater <3 This particular job I had was soul crushing and I'm lucky to have a story like this to share with others that have gone through similar sh. If someone is dealing with an owner similar to this, I highly recommend brushing up on your knowledge of your local labor laws. There are sadly way too many owners that try to get away with sh like this.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 17
    To clarify a few things, I'm from Canada. Forcing me to take leave was not actually legal of him to do. I was tired and so worn down that I just didn't want to fight anymore. I took it as a gift of all the days off I missed from all the over time I worked and that was it. For those wondering about whether or not I'm owed overtime, thankfully I'm not. Another manager task I had was organizing hours and submitting them. to payroll. Owners didn't have control over that, the managers (along with me)
    via u/[deleted]
  • 18
    So I got paid my overtime. Thank f Even if I did have some money owed, I personally just want to leave it be. It was hard enough getting my last paycheck from them, I didn't want to put any more energy into these guys than I had to. Again, holy sh thank you all <3 I hope you are all doing alright with everything that's going on in the world right now and are TAKING NO SH LIKE THIS.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 19
    Cheezburger Image 10485324800
    via Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 20

    People celebrated this worker's victory

    Duijinn My favorite kind of compliance! Why do owners think that because they "own" the business they are the gods of the business? You literally need the support of others to make your business run.
    via u/Duijinn
  • 21
    G8RTOAD Oh that's brilliant not only doesn't he listen, but he doesn't know how to work in his own business. Shame you couldn't get a photo of his face when you told him you were quitting.
    via u/G8RTOAD
  • 22
    SandyPetersen I cannot understand the concept of being an "absentee" owner. I mean I know those people exist. How in any way are they benefited by not knowing what's going on? Even micro-managing has to be better than cluelessness. As I see it, if you're too indolent to actually keep tabs on a shop, sell it and invest in something you WILL want to look over.
    via u/SandyPetersen
  • 23
    maywellflower Owner: "No, consider this a time out for you to get yourself sorted. Take the two weeks to rest and we'll see what your position will be like when you get back." Owner: "Don't worry about the business right now. It'll run without you."
    via u/maywellflower
  • 24
    Little did he know - he didn't bother to sort himself out for those 2 weeks & after to genuinely realize his own position while not realizing the business did run without you, just not as well as when he was taking advantage of your goodwill & efforts. He and you reaped what was sowed - Him af ed up business, you a better job anywhere but his business.
    via u/maywellflower

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