Employee discovers that restaurant manager has been changing her and her 17-year-old coworker's clock out times when they are forced to stay late after closing: 'You know you don’t get paid past 8:15 right?'

There's a reason why there are certain rules that your boss isn't able to make arbitrarily, because if it were up to some employers, you'd have no breaks and no benefits. Heck, if they were able, they'd probably even want you to pay them for the honor of working for them. 

You have to be tough as nails to work in the service industry. Long hours at late and early hours, stressful working conditions, and unruly customers—all under the watchful eye of a burned-out owner and manager whose business is barely turning a profit. 

This manager sought to incentivize their staff into finishing their closing tasks sooner, and charging less "overtime" after the restaurant closed by simply amending their clock-out time to when they felt the staff should have been finished with their closing tasks. This, of course, is illegal and highly unethical, and is even more suspicious because it's not as if the manager had approached the closing staff to ask them about why they were clocking out so late or made any attempts at scheduling more staff or offering training; the manager had simply amended their roster instead. 

Like what you see? Follow our WhatsApp channel for more.

Author image for Brad Dickson Brad Dickson
Advertisement
  • Guests dine in a sleek aesthetic restaurant late in the day
    via Amy Harrison

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Advertisement

  • It's hard to control the ever-increasing cost of food supply. So, if there are costs to be cut, it's going to have to be in other ways, and predictably, a lot of owners turn to one of the biggest overheads in business: the cost of labor. 

    It starts with staffing at lower levels, really trying to get the most bang for buck out of that roster. While this approach works for a short period, it inevitably leads those remaining on the roster down the one-way street to burnout as they struggle to keep up with demand that far exceeds their physical ability to take and meet orders. 

    The unscrupulous owners here quickly turn to cutting corners, doing what they can to reduce the hours being reported. This will start with "no overtime" policies that are impossible to uphold due to the nature of the business. It's hard not to work "overtime" when your shift is scheduled to end when the doors close and lock, but there are still 45 minutes of cleaning that need to be done to prepare for business the next day. 

    From there, the process turns to prohibitive and arbitrary requirements for submitting overtime that ironically take more time and discourage the extra hours from being reported. Finally, it turns to actually changing timesheets, something that is illegal and offers no grounds for justification, just as the manager has done here.

  • "My manager was changing my clock out times for an entire week"

    I was talking to a coworker of mine, I started complaining about the fact that they have two new employees closing alone together, we had both been there less than 2 weeks and there's supposed to be a shift lead closing with us but we simply don't get one bc none of them "want to". it was taking us until almost 9 pm to close and the restaurant closes at 8.
    via Beanzz_zz
  • She proceeds to look at me crazy and go, "you know you don't get paid past 8:15 right?". No. No I did not know that. So I text my manager and ask and he just casually admits to being aware we were staying that late, changing our clock out times to 8:30, and just not bothering to be like hey,
    via Beanzz_zz
  • you guys should stop staying so late you won't get paid for it. That's over an hour of work I will not be getting paid for. The other girl I was closing with was 17 and her mom found out and came in screaming at the manager. She quit that same day. And on a side note abt none of the shift leads wanting to close, he's got like 9 or 10 ppl opening and 2 closers like they don't need that many ppl to
    via Beanzz_zz
  • Advertisement
  • open and for some reason they think we just don't ever get busy as closers but we go through hour long rushes with just 2 of us almost every single day. There's like one day out of the week it'll be de d and then the gm wants to complain abt drive thru times. HIRE MORE CLOSERS
    via Beanzz_zz
  • A brightly lit restaurant is seen through the windows from out on the street
    via Karin Hiselius

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • mnl_cntn All of that is illegal in the states. Idk if you're here but if you are you should reach out to a labor lawyer
    via Beanzz_zz
  • Advertisement
  • Intern... God I hated when store managers tell you to close earlier but you're a location with customers coming in constantly. I can't start closing when there's a line of people at the end of the day! Jfc. They want customers out at 8:00 and you out by 8:01 to not "waste time". But also want 20 tasks done between 8:00 and 8:01 I guess
    via Beanzz_zz
  • I'm glad I don't work in this environment anymore. OP you are right to this this is BS. It's illegal for them to alter your hours but you won't win more than it's worth in this fight so I wouldn't involve a lawyer. You'll just get fired for being slow
    via Beanzz_zz
  • Everheart1955 So? In my book, you're done at 8:15. I'd leave it just like that.
    via Beanzz_zz
  • Advertisement

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!

Tags

workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employee employment-discussion job work employees overworked-employees workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

'Update to cupcakegate': School blindsides parent by telling them that their 48 homemade birthday cupcakes are banned from classroom

'Update to cupcakegate': School blindsides parent by telling them that their 48 homemade birthday cupcakes are banned from classroom

Trending Now

HR calls out employee of 15 years in attempt to steal his pension, employee's best friend saves his job: '[He] asked HR to prove it'

HR calls out employee of 15 years in attempt to steal his pension, employee's best friend saves his job: '[He] asked HR to prove it'

01
'Just so you know, we're not doing the PTO thing anymore': Assistant makes a standard PTO request, manager informs her he's done away with all paid vacation time

'Just so you know, we're not doing the PTO thing anymore': Assistant makes a standard PTO request, manager informs her he's done away with all paid vacation time

02
'Manager changed my clock-out times': New employees get left alone to close the store, forcing them to clock out an hour late every day, only to find out they don't get paid past closing time

'Manager changed my clock-out times': New employees get left alone to close the store, forcing them to clock out an hour late every day, only to find out they don't get paid past closing time

03
Customer demands an off-the-clock employee to help her find an item to repurchase in-store, then chews out the store's pregnant manager when the item's price changed from what it was 20 years prior: ‘Technology, inflation, reality, pick one’

Customer demands an off-the-clock employee to help her find an item to repurchase in-store, then chews out the store's pregnant manager when the item's price changed from what it was 20 years prior: ‘Technology, inflation, reality, pick one’

04
‘I’ve got to say, things have improved greatly!’: Employee and his trainee collectively “break” their manager after only 5 months of doing exactly what they were asked to do

‘I’ve got to say, things have improved greatly!’: Employee and his trainee collectively “break” their manager after only 5 months of doing exactly what they were asked to do

05
College graduate demands dad doesn't bring attention-seeking wife to her graduation dinner, after always having her milestones overshadowed by her, sparking family tension: 'Sent me message about how I’m erasing her from the family'

College graduate demands dad doesn't bring attention-seeking wife to her graduation dinner, after always having her milestones overshadowed by her, sparking family tension: 'Sent me message about how I’m erasing her from the family'

06
Advertisement