I work at an upscale restaurant as a coctail waitress (I take the tables in the bar section). I only work 2 nights a week, and I am just doing it for extra money while I am in grad school working on my masters.
The restaurant I work for is open 365 days a year, so the regular servers have to pick either Thanksgiving or Christmas to work, and they get the other one off. BUT, since i am a coctail waitress (there's only 2 of us total), I have to automatically work Thanksgiving since its on Thursday, and Thursday is my shift. I have to work 1-9.
I REALLY don't want to work, I am getting so depressed thinking about it as it gets closer. My family is the most important thing to me, and it makes me so mad that I have to work at this dumb job instead of being with my family for a holiday. Its not like its my chosen career, its just a side job.
What should i do? Should i call in sick or fake an injury? Or should I just deal with it?
2006-11-16 13:42:59 · 16 answers · asked by EllisFan 5 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
My grandparents are getting older. In 10 years, when I look back on this thanksgiving, am i going to be glad that i worked that shift for the good of the company? NO, I am going to be mad at myself for missing out on a family event.
Its very possible they will fire me if i call in.
2006-11-16 13:44:27 · update #1
If i call in and say i'm sick, or injured, or i have to leave town, i will get written up and or fired because its my shift and my responsibility to get it covered, regardless of the situation.
2006-11-16 13:47:45 · update #2
Keep things in perspective. Thanksgiving is a family holiday, sure, but you have every single other day of your life to see your family, if they are so important to you. Can your family rearrange so they eat the big turkey on Friday or Saturday? What does it matter to you which day everyone else is celebrating? Or start your own tradition and have a Thanksgiving brunch before you go to work.
Do NOT call in sick; it's a crappy thing to do and it's not the managers you're angry at who will suffer. It's your peers, the other servers, who will have to pick up the slack and will end up hating your guts. I'm not a rah-rah company person, but I do believe that you have no right to screw over your coworkers who would certainly also like to be at home with their families just as much as you would.
2006-11-16 13:59:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't mean to be gross, but the only thing that really works....call in sick with "explosive diarrhea". Everyone knows what it is and can sympathize, won't expect you to report, and will definitely not ask you to go to the doctor or for proof (if they do, dump a can of Black Bean soup in the toilet, dribbling some on the back of the seat and edge and take a picture).
And are you really going to be that busy on Thanksgiving? I worked in a restaurant that did not get busy until 8-9 pm (all of the people that came in were getting away from the relatives). So if you do go in, you could be stuck there.
And it's a part time job. At one I had, I put in for New Year's Eve 1999 in 3 months before and they still wanted me to come in. It was first come, first serve on day off requests and mine was the first. You can always find another part-time job if you have to.
2006-11-16 21:53:39 · answer #2 · answered by Joe S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says Thanksgiving has to be on Thursday? Ask your family to have dinner on Friday. Tell them that you really want to have dinner with them but, you have to work. Promise to be extra cheerful and helpful. Your employer really never cares about you no matter where you work. Your family always does. There will be much better and many more holidays after you finish school.
2006-11-16 21:53:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your boss and the other cocktail waitress (possibly at the same time) tell them your situation and tell them that thanksgiving and christmas are both time that should be spent with your family and, that you are stressed out, and ask for the time off or if you can work a short time in the early morning or later at night.
2006-11-16 21:47:37 · answer #4 · answered by M.Hall 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I say you should jsut simply be honest and tell them that you need to be there with your family and you are not working on Thanksgiving, I mean, employers are not dumb and they exppect call-ins on the holidays, so, if you faked something they will figure it out, but, if your honest about it they may let you keep your job especially if you give them some advance notice that way they can arrange for someone to be there instead of having to run one person short.
2006-11-16 21:49:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Quit, or pull a no call no show (if they fire you they fire you no biggie) Or you could get another person to cover your shift. Remember the most important thing: Family comes first before any job!
2006-11-16 21:56:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you make a commitment to an employer you should live up to it. It's just a fact of life that working retail or food services involves working days a lot of the rest of us folks have off.
So see your family in the morning and go to work at 1pm.
Don't leave your boss short handed by calling in sick, that is both dishonest and will leave your boss with a poor impression of you.
Deal with it, life is full of compromises.
2006-11-16 21:49:40 · answer #7 · answered by Phil O' Brien 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Work on the Turkey.
2006-11-16 21:51:01 · answer #8 · answered by robert m 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
try explaining your situation to your boss; asking your co workers to trade/switch. calling in sick is a bad idea.
2006-11-16 21:46:50 · answer #9 · answered by keith 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Speak the truth to your boss and Boss will help you.
2006-11-17 05:19:29 · answer #10 · answered by sharon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋