18-year-old hostess praised for her composure in stressful situations gets belittled by the bartender, quits right before the holiday rush: ‘This isn't worth $8 per hour’

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Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Dec 13, 2025 6:00 PM EST

Have you ever heard the saying, "work your wage?" It means that you shouldn't work more than what you are paid for, and that goes at any age. So when this 18-year-old, senior in high school student was getting belittled at work, she acted fast. She didn't stick around to think, "if I work harder, I'll get more respect!" because we all know that is a pipe dream. 

 

It started when the restaurant she hostessed at was short staffed (red flag #1). They put the bartender in charge and now she was hosting and bussing tables. After bussing a table, the bartender marched up to her, in front of a guest, and demanded to see her purse. She was accusing her of stealing a customer's phone. Now, we're talking about a teenager, the most definitely already have their own phone. And yet she was being accused. She tried to resist, but ultimately, it was just easier to let her go through her bag. However, after that kind of disrespect there was no going back.

 

Even though she knew the holiday rush was coming, she turned in her two-weeks on the spot. Guess you're going to be under staffed for the holidays now too!

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  • "AITBF for quitting right before the holidays?"

    a restaurant hostess in a white shirt and black pants looking annoyed with her coworker
    via Unsplash+ (and Chermiti Mohamed)

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

  • I(18f) am a hostess at a small town steakhouse and have been for about a month and a half now.
    via -April_Showers-
  • I'm part time because I'm still a student and need to focus mainly on my senior year.
    via -April_Showers-
  • I'm very blessed to come from a higher income family for my location and I got this job mainly out of wanting to have pocket money for going out with my friends.
    via -April_Showers-
  • I told my employer I would probably just work weekends and then pick up shifts if necessary.
    via -April_Showers-
  • The problem started a week ago when we started getting the holiday rush for Thanksgiving. I'm pretty good at dealing with entitles family monarchs who don't understand why there's a wait list on thanksgiving day.
    via -April_Showers-
  • My manager was actively complimenting my efforts and told me that come Christmas I would probably be scheduled just because she thinks I could handle it.
    via -April_Showers-
  • I reminded her that my availability is weekends (Christmas is on a Thursday) and she basically said the equivalent of "don't care didn't ask" in the most professional way possible.
    via -April_Showers-
  • Cool. Screw me I guess. Yesterday was my breaking point. My location is small. So small in fact that there is one owner and one manager.
    via -April_Showers-
  • They are our only authority. Yesterday our manager was sick and the owner was out of town.
    via -April_Showers-
  • They made the lead bartender, Megan, in charge. Well, part of my job there as a hostess was to clean tables.
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  • When one party got up, I did my job and cleaned the tables, then returned to my post.
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  • Well, while I was IN THE MIDDLE of talking to a customer, Megan walks up to me and demanded I open up my purse.
    via -April_Showers-
  • a restaurant table ready for the next customer with holiday decorations for Christmas time
    via Unsplash+ (and Rifqi Ali Ridho)

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

  • This is the convo here: Me = Me, Meg = Megan Meg: OP, I need you to open that bag NOW.
    via -April_Showers-
  • Me: My purse? ((I'm clueless)) Meg: Yes, your purse. The woman at table ### left her phone and the only person who could've taken it was you.
    via -April_Showers-
  • Now open your bag. Me: ((handing her my bag)) What exactly am I being accused of?
    via -April_Showers-
  • Meg: ((She's talking to me like I'm 5 at this point)) Well hun, who cleaned the table?
    via -April_Showers-
  • Me: Me, but I have my own phone. I don't need hers. Why can't you just check the cameras instead of fussing at me out on the floor?
    via -April_Showers-
  • Meg: I don't have time for this. At this point I'm actually awestruck and just look at the customer and my coworker who was standing next to me.
    via -April_Showers-
  • I ended up complying and letting her rifle through my bag. She genuinely took stuff out and laid it on the host stand, just messily shoving it all back when she was done.
    via -April_Showers-
  • My coworker was ranting about her audacity the second she left. I decided right then in there this wasn't worth the 8 dollars per hour.
    via -April_Showers-
  • When my manager came back, I put my two weeks notice in. She was surprised and asked why and I told her what Megan did and that I couldn't trust her and the owner to put people in charge that would do the right thing.
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  • Well, my manager was going off saying I was so unprofessional to leave right before the holidays when they hired new employees specifically to help out around the holidays.
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  • I didn't really think about that when I left, but now I kinda feel like shit.
    via -April_Showers-

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Tags

employee server coworkers i quit restaurant workplace hostess holiday work karma quitting entitled people service industry
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