The Whine thread.

[JadziaKathryn]

I don't know. But I spent time as a shift manager at McDonald's and can empathize with the insanity. In the summer I'd have a 9 hour scheduled shift, have to work 10 minutes of my 30 minute break, and get out after 10 hours. And the store manager was nice until she was stressed, when she snapped at her shift managers. My sympathy! But that's crazy, never mind illegal, to make people work for no money. We have labor laws for a reason: to protect people from exploitation. Maybe you should offer to talk to the store manager with that poor girl?

[blacknblue]

Properly, you should tell the boss that if you hear about that situation happening again, you will report them yourself. And if you get fired, you will sue.

[justTripn]

That's a shocking story, CoffeeCat. I'll go with Black 'n Blue's answer.

I'm better now--and five lbs thinner--in one day! Must have been food poisoning. I wouldn't have crawled to the computer yesterday to tell you I was sick, but I had to crawl there anyway to find someone to drive my son to his weekend soccer tournament. So . . . I am not in Virginia today watching soccer games.

DON'T EAT CHICKEN THAT HAS BEEN SITTING OUT!

And Bether, I did get to go to the opera with my free ticket. I don't think the opera is my cup of tea. As soon as they started singing I felt like sleeping. I was fighting sleep the whole time. Also I was reminded of Asso. Maybe I have new insight into Asso. I think Asso's stories are heavily influenced by opera, is that true?

[CoffeeCat]

I don't know. But I spent time as a shift manager at McDonald's and can empathize with the insanity. In the summer I'd have a 9 hour scheduled shift, have to work 10 minutes of my 30 minute break, and get out after 10 hours. And the store manager was nice until she was stressed, when she snapped at her shift managers. My sympathy! But that's crazy, never mind illegal, to make people work for no money. We have labor laws for a reason: to protect people from exploitation. Maybe you should offer to talk to the store manager with that poor girl?

Not surprised. Luckily I know how hard up the store is for managers SO I'm very demanding about certain things: Don't schedule me more than 8 hours a day three days a week is one of those demands. I once was scheduled for ten hours in this store, but walked out after eight. They tried to give me crap about it, but I basically reminded them when my availability was, told them I had made plans that day, and if they don't like it then they should go pound sand and stop setting me up for failure. So I really have no fear about confronting the so-called "boss" AKA self-invented slave master, it's just that I'm more concerned about this crewperson. Over the past six months she's been in and out of the court system dealing with some legal issues about her dieing mother, then her mother did die, then her 3 kids were taken away illegally by DSS, she fought that and got them back just last week, but they won't stop harassing her. She's a 21 year old mother of three, single, and smokes about 10 packs a day and is basically living off what she makes at McDonalds. I feel bad for her. She told me that she cant afford to make waves, but she still seemed very upset about being demeaned to that level and I'm pretty upset for having witnessed it, particularly after the fact that I already had this conversation with my store manager about the issue of illegal slave labor.

So, I think I might talk to the crewperson again first, and then talk to the other manager who knows about it to see if she wants to confront the store manager about it. She probably wont because she comes across as spineless to me. So I basically accepted that it's up to me to say something since I appear to be the only on in the store with a proverbial set of nads.

[Elessar]

It's not only illegal because of labor laws, it's a HUGE medical liability if someone got hurt off the clock.

They have this issue every now and then where I used to work at Blockbuster... but it was primarily only the managers. The corporate office would set how many labor hours the managers were allowed to have and how many they were allowed to assign to people but we would have someone call in sick or some disaster happen and occasionally the manager or assistant manager had to work off the clock... but it was very hush hush and I think they knew that it wasn't something they should do often.

But it was somewhat common for people who just walked in to get their check or pickup a movie to help customers out on the floor or even grab a register for 2-3 minutes if there was a serious lack of manpower. I think this probably happens at a lot of workplaces, but assigning unclocked hours as disciplinary action is ASKING for trouble, in so many ways.

[evcake]

Poor JT

Whine: it's almost 5am and I'm awake because those stupid drunkies were having a really loud party right outside my door and I couldn't sleep. What the frell. And I have to work soon they stopped now (I hope) so I'm gonna try to go to sleep what little time I have.

Are you feeling OK now?

[justTripn]

I'm trying to decide if I'm OK. Yesterday I thought YES! and tried to eat a potato. Big mistake. I just had like half a cup of macaroni and cheese and an apple. We shall see . . .

[Asso]

Are you feverish?

[justTripn]

I don't think so. I'm very weak, but that may just be the starvation. I think it was food poisoning.

[CoffeeCat]

I hope you feel better JT

[CX]

Should probably see the doctor about it - if nothing else they might be able to give you something so you can eat and keep it down.

[Alelou]

Gatorade and plenty of it.

As the mother of twins you must already know the BRAT diet -- bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.

If you're really weak and throwing up tomorrow, get yourself taken to the doctor. After awhile your electrolytes can get out of whack and then it becomes self-perpetuating.

[blacknblue]

Definitely haul yer butt to a doctor.

[Linda]

Hay, JT, do what Bnb said!

[justTripn]

Yes, rice, applesauce, and toast. (Unfortunately no bananas here right now.) Yes, that diet works. I'm almost back to normal, just a little dizzy! Thanks everyone.

I'm going over the the Happy news thread to post some good news!!!!