I’m going to try to condense the details as much as can while still giving y’all a full picture:
I moved to a brand new city this time last year and was hired into hospitality management after a lifetime of being a server. I like this industry because it’s always afforded me flexible time, as well as steady pay to fund/work on my small business.
After 7 months in management, I was moved to hosting. The reason was ‘chemistry issues’. What I came to learn is that the GM (who hired me, well call her ‘C’) was taking her feedback about me from her boyfriend who is the bar manager.
This was fine with me, as the bullying I was receiving from the staff at large was affecting my mental health, and I wasn’t getting any coaching or guidance from ANYONE (not even C)
So off I go to the host stand. (A position I haven’t done in 25 years, but I’m managing to get comfy in) What happened is the host who’s hours I took over, took my position in management. Fine. Whatever. Not a big deal. My brain health needed the calm.
Almost immediately the person (we’ll call her ‘T’) postured that I was acting resentful about the switch. I seriously wasn’t, I viewed it as a blessing.
But T made sure to plant that seed in C’s ear.
Fast forward to the past couple of months:
T is not just micromanaging my job (changing policies in the middle of the shift, rolling back privileges hosts were afforded before I changed positions, nitpicking what I wear to work) She is creating things I’m doing wrong to make me look worse than I am, even when I am by all accounts doing the job accurately 99% of the time.
A little bit about T:
-she talks shit about me everywhere, to anyone who will listen.
-She’s crass.
-She’s sexually harassed customers and other employees.
-She gets too drunk on the job.
-She’s got a reputation for being rude to guests and back of house staff.
But for the most part, she focuses on my actions.
-She has made a huge deal about me accepting a cash tip from a guest who told me to keep it,
-she has gossiped about my reaction to having my life threatened (a house less man threatened that he was going to “fucking kill me” and was going to “come back with a gun” and I immediately locked the front door until he was out of sight. This prompted her to spread this story around, framing me as a “pussy”, and our owner would fire me if he knew I locked the door during business hours)
What I’ve done:
-I’ve documented everything, including screenshots of the micromanagement/goal post moving on our inter-restaurant hosting system.
-Grey rocking
Why I’m in a tough spot:
– I can’t go to C about it, because T has been feeding her negativity about me, effectively putting her firmly on her side.
-I can go to the owner (who absolutely not stand for my treatment) but then I risk it getting worse if he speaks to her about it.
-I’ve been looking for other positions but the job market is INCREDIBLY locked up right now.
What other skills can I utilize to throw cold water on this? I need help enduring this until I can get anther position secured.
I can clarify details need be.
Comments
You HAVE to go to the owner.
If you have all the documentation, I would take it to the owner. Odds are there will be some house cleaning. Most successful restaurant owners don’t want their employees harassing patrons or drinking on the job. Tell them why you didn’t feel comfortable taking this to the manager.