Grocery store worker is 'fired' after trial shift, gets told off for not coming in to work: 'A colleague called me angry asking why I am not in'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jul 24, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Starting a new job is stressful stuff. You never know quite what it's going to be until you're there. The job description and the interview process only give you so much information. The rest won't truly dawn on you until you're there. How many active hours will your tasks take you to complete? What is your boss like? How do your coworkers respond to pressure? Where are the good lunch spots around there? What do they really mean when they say "fast-paced environment?" These are all essential questions that you won't get answers to until you're a week in at least. 

But at some jobs, they find even weirder ways to ease you in. Some jobs require something called a "trial shift," where you test out doing your job before they actually agree to hire you. This can give you an even deeper picture of what's going on in your prospective workplace.

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  • 01

    I got "fired" today after a trial shift and one whole day. Co-worker called me angry asking why I didn't come in.

    I started at a grocery store hot food counter. I was "hired" after my resume got to them from another counter I interviewed for. I agreed and did the three hour "trial" and one whole day on Saturday, with him saying he will send me the schedule Sunday. He messaged me on Sunday asking if I would prefer another food counter, assuming he was using it to make the schedule. No response. Monday? No response.
    via u/Puzzled_Koala_3360
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10533656320
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • One worker got a taste of their new workplace in a bad way, and then they were gone. After being recruited from their resume, they showed up to work a trial shift. But what happened after that revealed the nefarious inner workings of the company in a way they weren't prepared for. Read on for the story. 

  • 03
    Tuesday comes, I finally get a response and it's him telling me how management doesn't think I am a fit for the job.."sorry for the late updates" and come 12 PM, a colleague called me angry asking why I am not in. I didn't know I was scheduled. He refused to
    via u/Puzzled_Koala_3360
  • 04
    communicate to me until...today. I am aware he has days off but he's the manager and he has asked of me to respond promptly. Even "double texting" with a question mark lol. Kind of a bummer he just kind of sprung it on me but...dodged a bullet? Lol
    via u/Puzzled_Koala_3360
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10533656576
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 06

    Commenters had a lot to say about this kind of treatment.

    wongatronus • 17h ago . Dodged the whole magazine of bullets there
    via u/wongatronus
  • 07
    scarlettslegacy • 14h ago I once walked out of a trial. It was so chaotic and already a few red flags and I was just, f it, even if they pick me, I don't want this job. I just grabbed my bag and walked out, it was so chaotic they didn't realize I was gone.
    via u/scarlettslegacy
  • 08
    SuteruOtoko • 14h ago This. That amount of chaos and inconsistency is a crimson flag. Even if the manager has a day off there should be someone to answer questions like that. Not to mention you were told you'd have a schedule on Sunday. Makes "you get paid Friday" a lot less believable
    via u/SuteruOtoko
  • 09
    CautiousBasil2055 17h ago . I hope you got paid for the "trial shift."
    via u/CautiousBasil2055
  • 10
    Sloppy Meathole • 16h ago We need to end normalizing texting between employees and bosses regarding work schedules. They should post them physically at the workplace and provide an online portal so you can see your schedule. This bulls texting scheme only hurts employees.
    via u/SloppyMeathole
  • 11
    • KateKoffing ⚫ 16h ago Your employer is required to pay you for hours worked. There is no such thing as a trial shift.
    via u/KateKoffing
  • 12
    Twittenhouse • 13h ago I was a bagger at a grocery store for five months. They opened a cafeteria area that was full service, salad bar, smoothies, sushi bar, deli, they had like eight different stations to get food.
    via u/Twittenhouse
  • 13
    I asked my manager if I could work at one of the stations because I knew they were making more money. He just said there weren't any openings yet so ask him again in a week. I was so tired of bagging and asking paper or plastic? I asked one last time about working at the smoothie bar and he just said baggers can't be juicers.
    via u/Twittenhouse
  • 14
    doubleOnein · 11h ago • Once a company asked me to trail a whole month to see if I was a fit. I agreed but asked for a ball park figure on my salary. The owner says let's discuss after a month. I simply walked out.
    via u/double0nein
  • 15
    MarginalOmnivore • 16h ago Does it say anywhere that the trial shift was unpaid? Because they are absolutely a thing that happens, and I am trying to figure out where "trial shift" suddenly was a synonym for "unpaid intern."
    via u/MarginalOmnivore
  • 16
    safety-squirrel • 16h ago . What an absolute dumpster fire lol. Be glad that sh didn't work out.
    via u/safety-squirrel
  • 17
    . pondmucker ⚫ 13h ago Worked for a few hours and now the other employees have your phone number? How does that work?
    via u/pondmucker
  • 18
    SpiderWil 14h ago • They wanted u to work for free for 3 hours, f no.
    via u/SpiderWil
  • 19
    urlacher14 • 10h ago What kind of grocery store thinks they're such a high level job they do trial shifts? That's wild.
    via u/urlacher14
  • 20
    Geminii27 4h ago Did you forward the text message to the colleague and suggest some team communication exercises? :)
    via u/Geminii27
  • 21
    Swiggy1957 • 12h ago Let me guess? Krogers? Happened to two of my housemates. Hired, worked 2 weeks, then schedules changed without notifying them.
    via u/Swiggy1957
  • 22
    • letsfastescape · 10h ago Why the f do I see so many posts about employers conducting business and doing scheduling by texting? How the f are you gonna run a business and not have an email distro list or scheduling software? Best of luck on the next one OP, you dodged a stinker here. Also, trial shifts are such a scam and actually illegal in a lot of places.
    via u/letsfastescape
  • 23
    ForexGuy93 • 14h ago I'm just wowed that there's resumes and protocols involved for food counter work, honestly. I'd been going through life convinced that these jobs were filled by posting a "help wanted" sign on the door.
    via u/ForexGuy93
  • 24
    National_Cod9546 · 9h ago • Make sure you get paid for the "Trial". Threaten to go to the labor board if they don't.
    via u/National_Cod9546
  • 25
    Mountain-jew87 1h ago • Lmao aka "weve had 4 people walk off the job this month and now we want to see you will too"
    via u/Mountain-jew87
  • 26
    . Dazmond_uk1 • 12m ago I've had something similar to this with a supermarket. Had the interview, was told I didn't have the job, and 3 months later, I received a phone call asking why I hadn't turned up for any of my shifts... like, I don't work for you?
    via u/Dazmond_uk1

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss trial shift workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment grocery store
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