Grocery store boss piles work on 19-year-old employee, drags them in the group chat when they can't finish everything

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 12, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

Have you ever been reprimanded for something that wasn't your fault?

This can be one of the more frustrating aspects of existence. You have no way to defend yourself, and the damage has already been done. I even hate this when it's a plot line in a movie or a TV show. When a case of mistaken information leads to someone's downfall… I hate it. But it might just happen in real life, and we need to be prepared when it does. We need to be able to stick up for ourselves and defend our decisions, or else others will surely take advantage of us. Especially in the workplace, and especially when we're first starting out as people in the working world. It's not easy to speak your mind around people with more power than you. But you should try not to let it stun you into silence. 

When you're first starting out at a job, you're very much still learning the ropes. You're trying to figure out everyone's working styles and how best you fit into it. You're trying to keep your head down and do the work, but you're also trying to make sure that you don't get overworked. Because if you don't stand up for yourself in the beginning, it only gets more difficult down the line when you have more on your plate, and everyone has assumed that it's a good thing and that you can handle it. If you don't set your boundaries early and often, you never know what will happen later on. 

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  • A woman scans groceries at checkout
    via Unsplash+ (Natalia Blauth)

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

  • Everyone in the work group chat is talking bad about me...

    Well, I don't know if this is even the right subreddit, but anyway, I (19F) got my second ever job at Morrisons a month ago, and I noticed how much work there was immediately. I work in the market street oven fresh part time, and I'm doing the work of 2 people, and my third shift was literally closing all alone despite barely knowing anything. I keep having to stay over my time
    via itz_sisisi
  • because there's so much to do, and they keep asking me to do even more stuff, and I can't do it all before the time I'm supposed to clock out. Today, the manager told me I had to clock out at the exact time and leave everything because they get told off if they
    via itz_sisisi
  • let people stay overtime because they have to pay them more, so that's exactly what I did. I managed to do everything besides clean all the dishes. Nowwww I see a notification in their group chat basically with a picture of the dishes saying "this
    via itz_sisisi
  • is absolutely disgusting," and all of them talking sh about me, and I genuinely cannot go back. I can't, everyone hates me. Would anyone stay after this and go to their shift tomorrow, or quit now?
    via itz_sisisi

  • Commenters gave their takes on this story.

    nemc222 Simply reply you were made to clock out and told to leave them. Problem solved.
    via nemc222
  • Impossible_Link8199 Just defend yourself and say you were told to clock out. But make sure you're prioritizing your tasks at work. Some things are more important than others and when things are really busy, you have to decide which task takes precedence and do those first.
    via Impossible_Link8199
  • No-Show-9539 Unfortunately this how you learn to stand up for yourself and throw the manager under the bus by saying I'm following his instructions
    via No-Show-9539
  • A teen worker stocks the freezer at a grocery store
    via Unsplash+ (Natalia Blauth)

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

  • That's the situation this young worker was in when they started a new job at a grocery store. They were being piled with so much work that they couldn't handle, and when they couldn't handle it, they were reprimanded for it. This left them in a situation where they were losing respect from their peers, but also didn't have a way to gain it. Keep scrolling to see what happened in this story and see what you think about it.

  • gmambrose Your manager is sh. He should have immediately said "I told her to clock out and leave those". You need to grow a thicker skin and learn how to stand up for yourself. People s k.
    via gmambrose
  • delg23 I would say my manager told me that I had to clock out. There was too much sh to do.
    via delg23
  • jerry111165 Who cares? Call everyone out on this and let em all know that you can't do it all by yourself.
    via jerry111165
  • Joy2b You can say this: I offered to stay late and finish them. There will probably still be a bit of feedback, and you have to be realistic about that. Still, it should cool things off faster.
    via Joy2b
  • East-Mission9219 What did they say about you? The picture of dirty dishes isn't hating you!
    via East-Mission9219
  • Lopsided_Amoeba8701 Just because you are unable to do all tasks in timely manner doesnt mean it's workload of two people.
    via Lopsided_Amoeba8701
  • TheGnomster I've been in hellish work environments, and the issues are almost left unaddressed by management because it's "work culture." Here are a few tips.
    via TheGnomster
  • 1. Be communicative. Is the person really out to get you or is he/she lacking the perspective to understand why, for example, the dishes get done. Try using pass downs so the next shift understands why something may have been missed.
    via TheGnomster
  • 2. Resilience is key. Haters will always have some crop to say; don't let them bother you. It's easier said than done but it gets easier with time.
    via TheGnomster
  • 3. Bust your bt during your shift and find ways to improve the flow of the workplace. Management will notice, if they don't walk them through some improvements
    via TheGnomster
  • you've made. The haters will still talk but you'll be in the golden with management. This could lead to promotions down the road. 4. When you clock out, leave work at the door.
    via TheGnomster
  • Find something to look forward to after work so the transition is easier. This is so important for your mental health. 5. (The tough love part) You can't just run from
    via TheGnomster
  • a job because of a bu y. That means you can be manipulated and makes them think they're more powerful. The bull crop between shifts never, ever goes. away. You have to learn to be stronger than them. Understand you're there for a
    via TheGnomster
  • paycheck, not friends. Friends are a bonus if you're lucky. genuinely hope it gets. better for you. All of the faith
    via TheGnomster
  • WhineAndGeez This is an opportunity to learn to document and place blame with the correct person.
    via WhineAndGeez
  • Contact your manager in writing. Explain that their instructions to you to never stay past your assigned end time, even if the assigned work is more than can be completed in a shift, is
    via WhineAndGeez
  • causing friction. Ask your manager if they would like you to continue leaving on time, even if there is unfinished work, or are they willing to authorize overtime or assign extra help for closing so tasks are completed.
    via WhineAndGeez
  • If they refuse overtime and additional help, the next time your coworkers complain, you can either tell them that was a decision management chose or go to your boss and ask them to step up and confirm they forbid you from staying and didn't allow extra help.
    via WhineAndGeez

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teens boss jobs employee teenagers Horrible Bosses group chat grocery store
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