Late Night Geek Wants Input On Lazy Coworkers

Dear Members of the RHU,

I would like advice on how to deal with a situation. I’ve posted in the Comments as Late Night Geek, I’ll stay at that. I work the 3rd shift at a popular fast food restaurant. I’ve worked this shift for the past few years; I’ve worked at this chain before and worked every shift.

There are usually between two and three crew and manager depending on the night. One person takes the drive up, the other person works in the kitchen. The third person bounces back and forth in-between stations. There is a list of tasks that need to be finished before the night is up.

Right now, a lady I’ll call “Cubbie” and I have been working the shift for more than 2 years. Most of the people they have hired for the shift in last few years have been slowly falling into the same rut. They show some promise of being able to finish tasks, but it only lasts two months at max. They need someone constantly over their shoulders to get stuff done. When quitting time is here, some tasks are not finished; it usually depends on the person working the position. I don’t mind helping people, but I shouldn’t be the one following up. It’s frustrating since Cubbie and I can make sure that the tasks are finished; but hearing that the entire shift is no good because of the one bad apple.

Recently, I wanted to bash my head into a register to the point of unconsciousness after talking to the one shift manager who’s worked the shift for the past year. I’ll call her Violet. Violet simply does not follow up on the task needing to be done. We had several people that wouldn’t finish certain tasks, such as cleaning out items that need to be done every few hours, like the grease traps. It’s come to a point where Cubbie and I are the only ones who will do certain tasks without being asked.

We asked her why she isn’t following up, particularly why should Cubbie and I be the only ones to do them. Our side was basically: 1) We aren’t management, we don’t have the authority to tell other crew what and what not to do; 2) We should be not responsible for other crew’s tasks if they should decide not to do them. I don’t mind giving a hand; I don’t like to be the only person on shift that’s working and wants to get shit done. (I would also point things out like “Don’t forget to do task x," but it wouldn’t be done before morning.) I asked her what she would have done in a situation I had dealt with another crew member where he had basically told me to do his tasks and goofed around.

She summed it up as it’s not her problem and I should’ve dealt with the situation. (I had to talk to one of the assistant managers after the shift was over; he was moved to a different shift.) Violet had taken our discussion as an attack and dropped it. I started to see red and Cubbie talked me out of throwing a fit, but not after I wrote shit down in my documentation book.

I probably should also mention at this time that Violet has let herself be taken advantage of in the “helping” department. There were two girls that transferred to our shift about this time last year; I’ll call them Lemon and Lime. Lemon has left, Lime is still here. Both fell into the rut, Lime’s really hitting it now. Lemon would ask Violet to watch the window and disappear for long periods, either outside or in the stock room. She couldn’t get the major tasks done and seem to get the trivial stuff done. Lime was capable of finishing the tasks, but she’s dragging her heels. If she can get out of doing certain tasks, she’ll certainly try.

I’ve brought it up to the other manager who regularly works over night; she’s awfully good at following up. I’m not sure of what to say to Violet to get her to realize that she should do her job without starting a fight. I can’t really say anything to the General Manager because if it’s not his shift, he does not care. I am rather hesitant to go over his head at this point. (Lemon had done this twice, and got herself in trouble. She had lied to him.)

I am working on a log of documentation. (I’m writing others down just so it doesn’t look like I’m only targeting my shift.) If the situation continues, I hope I can sit him down so this can get work done. Other than making the documentation list, is there any other things I could be doing to avoid this?

--Late Night Geek

Comments

[Kel]

Best peice of advice man. If you are just crew and the current manager wont manage. Let her fall on her ass. Don't do other's people job for them man. You are enabling them. They are taking advantage of you. Do your job and let Violet do hers. If she fails her job its her ass not yours so let her fall on her ass.

[Zyffyr]

Do your job, stop carrying the others. They will continue to be lazy for as long as they can get away with it.

[Dhamp]

The risk of not "carrying" the others, is that it could be construed that the responsibility to ensure that the tasks are completed falls on the shift, not on any one member.

[AmigaTech]

Incidentally, the Geneva Conventions on Warfare, signed after World War Two, specifically called out 'group punishment', namely punishing a group of people for the actions (or lack thereof) as unlawful, unreasonable, and unacceptable.

It came about due to certain occupying forces having a nasty habit of threatening to (or actually) burning down an entire village to punish one or two miscreants.

I know, those conventions do not apply in this case, but I thought I should point out that the very practice was considered so nasty in principle that it's a war crime.

Still, everyone in power does it to everyone they can.

--AT

PS - Practically? Ask the manager to divide the jobs between the workers, and do your own part. That's part of management. AT.

[AmigaTech]

... for the actions (or lack thereof) of a few, as ...

Next time I'll actually read the preview...

--AT

[Late Night Geek]

Each position has a list of what needs to be done.

As far as carrying the entire weight of the shift myself, it's been a long while. Its come to a point to where its Violet, another worker, and myself and the other worker drops the ball and Violet expects me to do everything, I'm walking out. I've probably should've mentioned it, but I've stopped helping Lemon completely a month or two before she left. She freaked out on me for helping her out ONCE, and couldn't figure out why the rest weren't doing her job for her.