Manager schedules 16-year-old homeschooled fast-food worker for 40 hours a week, calls her a lazy teenager: 'I cried at work 3 times today.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Apr 4, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

She only asked to be scheduled part-time, but she's working full-time.

Any manager who expects teenage workers to have the same level of professionalism as adult workers is setting themselves up for disappointment. While some teens are incredibly committed to their after-school jobs, most are just doing it to get a little extra pocket change. An adult is going to take their job more seriously, both because of the stage of life they're at and because they are working to pay their bills and eat. Adults know that if they get fired, they might not be able to afford to eat. Most teenagers are supported by their parents, so they don't have the internal drive to work to survive. And even if they have a trace of that drive, they usually don't have the discipline and maturity to put it into practice. 

The funny thing about fast-food service jobs that pay pennies is that they expect all their employees to take the worst extremely seriously, even though virtually anyone can get one of these jobs, and they aren't paying their workers enough to be emotionally invested in the company's long-term success. My pet theory is that micromanaging service managers are just unsatisfied with their lives, and want to pick on someone smaller than them, so they harass teenage girls working their first job because they want to break their spirit. Any teenage girl who finds herself in a job where she gets yelled at for no reason should run far, far away and find a more chill job. The girl in this story, especially, should do that. 

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  • Beautiful Hispanic food truck worker receiving payment with a credit card and smiling
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Young employee check out a customer at her demanding fast-food service job.

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

  • I cried at work 3 times today

    I started working this fast food job, I'm 16 and homeschooled but I requested part time.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • Get put on for 40 hours a week, morning shifts. Whatever, it's really not that bad and the moneys good.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • Anyways, I'm scheduled 7 days straight this week, and I was already dreading that, I come in today and I think "hey it's really not that bad, I was overreacting" Then we get really busy, everyone gets to go on break but me, and I get chewed out by three managers.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • At one point I was left alone to manage my entire station during the middle of a rush, and one of the managers came over and pulled me aside, and chewed me out for "not working as hard as I could be" and saying that she knows teenagers are lazy but I need to do better.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • I also have health conditions that make me dizzy standing, and I have risk of passing out.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • Anyways, I cried 2 times in the bathroom and once in the freezer. Still going in tomorrow and I hate working.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • Profile view of a latin female cook working in a food truck and making some hamburgers
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Young fast food worker, trying to serve customers as quickly as she can.

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

  • I'm thinking about asking for less hours, but I dont wanna seem lazy.
    via u/Worldly-Ad-7118
  • Cute young female cook selling hot dogs to a couple of customers in a food stand
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A young employee serves a customer after she cried in the bathroom.

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

  • useless_mermaid You're only 16...just quit. It's not worth the stress.
    via u/useless_mermaid
  • Menacewith_thefatty What are the labor laws in your area? Usually minors have to have a break. Depending on your state, you do have rights. I just know that every state is different when it comes to limiting how much work is too much work for a minor. If I were you, I would look into your states labor laws for minors. If you are able to find anything that works in your favor, I would suggest mentioning it to them as a reminder that you are a minor.
    via u/Menacewith_thefatty
  • WhaleFartingFun Quit. Nobody should be working that type of schedule at 16. Also you shouldn't be working food service if you have a condition that makes you dizzy. You can hurt people dropping plates of food.
    via u/WhaleFartingFun
  • JustHereForTMT Your managers s k. Not even in a way like "all managers sk" but that your actual managers are people. They're awful, pushing the person who's likely one of the youngest to do way too much. They're not honoring your part-time status, scheduling you for an absurd amount of days in a row, and they're even insulting you and your whole generation. IF you choose to stay, please pull your ambitions waaay back, and save your consideration for an employer that deserves it. I can guarantee
    via u/JustHereForTMT
  • fullmetalfeminist 40 hours a week is a full time job. You are compromising your education for this bulls, and you really can't afford to compromise your schooling even further when you're already homeschooled. Also if you get dizzy and pass our from standing, you are not well enough to do this job. It's an insane job to apply for with your health condition.
    via u/fullmetalfeminist
  • FrigyaCrowMother This is more than likely illegal in your state. You at the very least need a break and shouldn't be working 7 days in a row at 16. You need to focus on your education kiddo. Being homeschooled is hard enough, you don't need the extra stress of this yahoo yelling at you for dumb things out of your control. Quit. Find a job at another company, retail isn't much better but it's less stressful than fast food.
    via u/FrigyaCrowMother
  • Kaotic-one Yeah, I cried twice at work and I'm middle aged in a "professional" job. The work doesn't get any easier... but venting to people who care about you can help. Keep your chin up.
    via u/Kaotic-one
  • PickledPixie83 Minors can't work 40 hours a week.
    via u/PickledPixie83
  • The-Namer Just quit. I wouldn't even bother with a two weeks notice. Just tell everyone you're done being treated like sh and then never go back. Normally, I advocate for some level of professionalism but in this case, they don't deserve that much from you. So yeah, quit.
    via u/The-Namer

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part time manager lazy teenagers work restaurant homeschool full time fast food crying
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