Feeling taken advantage of in my job by my boss…
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So I’m hoping to gain some people’s opinions on this. I work as a retail/shop assistant in a garden centre. In the garden centre there is also a cafe, but there are two different managers. One for the shop and the other for the cafe.
I love my job working in the shop. However, nearly every shift I have, my boss constantly sends me into the cafe to “help” the staff with cleaning dishes etc.
Yes, I understand that the cafe tends to get very busy and I don’t mind helping them out from time to time. But when I’m sent in to help, even after it’s quietened down, I’m stuck in there until closing time.
For example, I helped the cafe staff to the best of my ability and once it hit near closing time. I asked the cafe manager could I possibly go back out into the shop and finish of my tasks from earlier. All I had received was the reply, NO.
I personally feel like I’m being picked on as usually I’m the only shop staff member being sent in to help. I just feel that I want to stand up to my boss and explain to him that, “I understand the cafe gets very busy and I will help the cafe staff without any hesitations, but at the end of the day I’m not cafe staff. Nowhere on my job description did it mention that nearly every shift of mine I would be in the cafe.
I apologise for the rant, I’m just at breaking point because I love my job in the shop. But as soon as I’m asked to help the cafe, I just want to go home and hide.
Lastly, in theory is my boss allowed to do this. Constantly picking/choosing me to help the cafe staff until closing, nearly every shift I have. Even though I’m not even cafe staff?
Any opinions on this or what I should possibly do would be extremely appreciated. Thanks.
I don’t think you’re necessarily being picked on. I would guess you’ve fallen into the trap of “The better job you do, the more work you get.” You sound like a hard worker who doesn’t like to rock the boat, which is the exact kind of ideal employee toxic bosses love to take advantage of.
Do cafe staff get paid more than store staff or otherwise get additonal benefits?
Your only option really are to sit your boss down and say “Hey, I can’t be the only one being called on to work in the café. If this keeps up I’m going to quit” and then stick to it if it doesn’t change.
If you have the spine for it, you can also just start doing a bad job in the café, but that’s something I don’t think I would be able to pull off either.
I don’t think I’d phrase it like that – you can’t tell your boss what to do. Instead, say something like “I really enjoy my work in the garden area and I’m good at it. I find that I’m sometimes not able to finish my duties there due to frequently being sent to the cafe and not being allowed to return to the garden center. I was wondering if you could rotate who goes to the cafe as backup instead of it being me most of the time. Also, once the cafe closes down, could I return to the garden center to finish my work there? Usually the cafe manager won’t let me leave once I’m there.”
