Coworker Hell With Birdie At The Golden Arches

Gather 'round, children, and let old granny Mollywobbles tell you a story of how not to fucking act at your place of employment.

I worked a 12-hour shift today at McScrewYou's.  I came in at 3PM and was scheduled to go home at 11, but someone just HAD to drop the Drama Bomb all up in this bitch, and I was asked to stay and close, which I accepted out of the goodness of my heart and the work ethic my dear mother instilled in me - but which also meant that I didn't go home until 3:30 this morning.

In the interest of brevity, I'll try to leave out as many personal details as I can about one of the parties who got sent home after not even two whole hours of her shift (something my coworkers and I wish she had done herself).  Let's call her Birdie. 

Now, Birdie has been having man problems for some time, and as a result she seems to think that everyone she sees is judging her and talking about her behind her back. 

Today, Birdie came in at 5PM already not wanting to be there but, according to her, "I've got kids and bills and my hours have been getting cut since I'm not closing five nights a week anymore", AND our 2-10 grill guy (who also constantly bitches about his lack of hours) had called in, so she came in even though her new beau just got back into town. 

This was Problem Number One: She already didn't want to be there, but felt slightly obligated to as she has responsibilities.

Now, Problem Number Two: Birdie decides that she's going to get herself sent home early - and bragged about it TO ONE OF OUR MANAGERS.  Something to the tune of "If anyone says anything to me today, I am going to get sent home." 

Naturally, this manager (MGR, because I can't think of something clever to call her) goes and tells the Closing Manager (Closer, because again, I can't think of a witty name for her) exactly what Birdie told her.  Shortly after this, Birdie tells Closer that she's majorly stressed out by her at-home issues, complete with the shakes (which may or may not have been real), and if Closer was going to send someone home early to please let her go.  Closer isn't stupid, though, and tells her flat out "No way, I need you in grill, and besides, no one's getting sent home early."

Problem Number Three: Birdie's sister "Serena" also works at our fine establishment, and happens to be working a 2-10 shift in drive-thru, which is kind of isolated from the rest of the store - prime grounds for uninterrupted venting/gossip.  Serena warns Birdie, however, that someone could walk by and overhear Bridie bitching about her at-home drama, and oddly enough mentions a male co-worker - who happened to be our grill closer for tonight - by name (we'll call him Andy).

So, add these all together and you've got yourself a recipe for the perfect shitstorm, and boy does it play right into Birdie's hands.  Birdie goes and tells Closer that she had heard that Andy was talking shit behind her back (which is an outright lie), and goes back about her business in grill.  Closer takes Andy aside on front end (a good six feet away from Birdie at the time) and asks him if there's any truth to it, which Andy denies because he really hadn't said anything about her the whole hour that he'd been there.  Birdie, possibly having heard her name and seeing Closer and Andy talking in hushed voices, suddenly calls out "Andy, if you've got something to say to me, say it to my face!"  Needless to say, everyone was stunned, but Andy whirls around and shouts right back at her "Nobody was fucking talking about you!"  And they proceed to shriek and curse at each other like you wouldn't believe.

Closer, trying to do some damage control, takes Andy and Birdie to the back stock room, hoping that no customers would be able to hear them (there were two regulars in lobby, but they told Closer that they only heard voices, not what was actually said), and tried to mediate the argument by once again asking Andy if he had indeed said anything about Birdie, which he again denied.  Birdie came right back with "Well, I was told that you were talking about me!", refusing to mention Serena specifically but still insinuating that it had been her.  Andy shot back "I don't fucking care about your life, Slut-Face!"  At which point Closer threw her hands in the air and said "Andy, go home."

Normally, this wouldn't have been that big a deal, as Birdie knows grill and could have closed in Andy's place.  BUT NO, this was all part of Birdie's plan, as she immediately declared "If he's going, I'm going, too!" 

And Closer, who at this point was just tired of all the drama and bullshit, said "You go right ahead, and you make sure to call Store Manager and tell him all about it!" 

"I will!" cried Birdie defiantly as she clocked out and ran to the office to use the phone to call her boyfriend and ask him to pick her up because "Closer sent me home," she told him through tears. 

Then she walked back up front and, her chest still hitching, asked Closer for Store Manager's number.  So much for those hungry kids and unpaid bills, right?

So, this left Closer, MGR (who was on a 2-10 shift), Other Grill Closer, our front line closer "Pinkie" (because she reminds me a lot of Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) and myself.  I have (finally) had some experience in grill, so Closer asked me if I would stay past my 11 o'clock quitting time and close grill for them.  Not one to leave my boss and co-workers hanging, I agreed.  I didn't mind too much, though - it was just washing dishes for two hours after we closed at 1AM, and I got to listen to my MLP and Pokémon music on the job =3 And Closer and Pinkie both thanked me profusely for staying over and helping them out.  Pinkie even gave me a ride home!

Also, just to kind of shoehorn this in here, a while back one of our managers was coming up on her maternity leave (six weeks) and talk quickly spread about Store Manager promoting someone to a management position.  Under the encouragement of one of the day shift managers, I plucked up the courage to let Store Manager know that I was interested in the position (I have been with this particular store for three-and-a-half years now).  He said he'd consider it, but it might be a while before a decision was made.  Well, a week into said preggo manager's maternity leave, a new manager still hasn't been decided.  I took the opportunity while Closer was washing some parts she needed to wash to bring the position up, ask if a decision has been reached, and who else was being considered/do I have a shot at this.  Closer told me that 1) a decision has not been reached yet, but will be sometime next week; 2) she could not tell me who else was being considered, and 3) should I be passed over for the management position, Store Manager is thinking of making me Crew Trainer, which Closer told me is "one step closer to management", and that if I really want a shot at the management position that I should start taking more initiative - things like not waiting for a runner to ask me to bag food in drive-thru, etc.  I told her that, when I work in the mornings (directly under Store Manager's supervision), I usually do take over and run for drive-thru without being told, which Closer said was very good, "he notices things like that" and I should just keep that up.

Oh, and one more thing: Store Manager's daughter just started working in the store again after what has to be at least six months away from the job.  I don't know how long she worked there before she quit to get married and have a baby, but I'm not sure it's entirely relevant - the manager that's on maternity leave?  Yeah, she's Store Manager's niece, and she was made Manager after about two months on the job.  I freaking TRAINED her.  If Daddy's Little Girl gets made manager next week and I get some title that honestly sounds like Closer is making it sound more important than it actually is, I don't know what I'm going to do.

May your days and nights be drama-free,

--Mollywobbles

Comments

[Skittles]

I hate to say it but it sounds like you have no shot at management, as nepotism runs stronger than water. Besides with all the people out there desperate for jobs, the fact that birdie still works their reeks of poor management.

[Mollywobbles]

Oh yeah, we recently had a girl come back who has quit/been fired at least three times. Talk about job security, eh? Not to mention Birdie herself has quit once and come back, and she was a manager herself before she left.
Since writing this, however, I have learned that there are actually seven other people besides myself who they are making Crew Trainers, presumably to gauge how they would do under a pseudo-management position before actually promoting someone. I actually got a peek at the list, and I didn't see DLG on there, so there's that.
Also since writing this, I've decided that when the Crew Trainer titles are handed out (boss said he's "already got the books ordered"), I'll probably be asking for this story to get taken down, as the situation is fairly specific should anyone come sniffing around. I was just so pissed about the whole situation when I got home that night that I needed to vent. For those of you that did, thanks for reading =3

[The vacationing NC Tony]

I was going to suggest seeing if you can get Birdie to quit, but since she's done it before and come back, it may not do much good. But I agree with Skittles, nepotisim usually overrides dedicated, hard working employees everytime, even if the family memeber in question is dumber than a bag of rocks.

[CashierBtch]

Isn't nepotism illegal? My aunt got transferred to a different department in the company after she was made my moms supervisor because someone complained (not that my aunt would show favorites, she was actually harder on my mom)

[Perky]

@ Cashierbtch, I think it is only illegal in government jobs. I think private businesses can hire, or fire, or transfer pretty much anyone they want. We have a tab bit of nepostism where I work, this one woman has all 3 of her kids and her sister working at the store. In fact most of the people who work there has some sort of family who also works there as well. I'm one of the few who do not.

[Karebear]

I used to work in a fast food joint (Arby's) that was basically everyone and their cousin working there. My boss and myself were the only ones not related to anyone there somehow. Shortly after he sold the store, one lady was made assistant manager and basically, because the owners didnt care to much about the store and how it was run, that whole family was workin there. Mother was assistant manager, her husband was there, 3 of her 4 kids were there, her sister in law, her niece and nephew. I started gettin like 10 hours a week, so I flew the coop.

Hopefully it doesnt come down to that for you, op. I hope you do make the management team sooner than later!

[Humor_Me]

Nepotism sucks. When I worked at the one pet store, the cousin owned it, the manager was the mother, and the son was the ass manager. He knocked up a cashier, married her, and ended up stealing a bunch of shit and money to feed his drug habit till he was banned. Even the dad worked stock there for awhile as stocker. The son divorced the cashier when he found out she was sleeping with another stocker that used to work there because he was giving her rides to see the dad of her other kid (son had DUI and couldn't drive). Total dysfunctional family shit. A psychiatrist could own his own small tropical island just treating that store.