I work part-time at a particular restaurant in a hotel who provides breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests.
Context
For context purposes, I am taking a full time degree and it was near the period of my examinations and so I had not intended to work at first but decided to submit my schedule for the morning shift that day because the restaurant was short staffed.
I was on the morning shift that day to serve the breakfast crowd and getting ready to leave when my manager called me aside to have a chat with me. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.
As soon as I went to have a chat with him, he began scolding me for not submitting my schedule for the lunch shift.
He said that I wasn’t being a team player and that I was not taking my job seriously.
I was shocked by his words and I explained to him that I had been very busy with school work and examinations were coming and that I will not be able to work as much as I would have loved to.
But he was not sympathetic to my explanation and continued to berate me for not taking my job seriously. I argued back, trying to explain that I was a dedicated employee even though I am on a part time role and that I was doing the best that I could.
But he was not having any of it. He said that he expected me to submit my schedule and that he wanted to see it by the end of the week. I told him that I would try my best to submit it, but he was still not satisfied.
At this point, I was feeling frustrated and angry. I had been a loyal employee and had always taken my job seriously. I had never been late for a shift and I always tried to be helpful to my colleagues.
I had put in extra hours when needed and I had never complained.
But here I was, being called out for not being a team player.
I felt like my hard work and dedication was being overlooked and that my manager was only focused on the fact that I had not submitted my schedule for more shifts.