I work remotely; most of my interactions are done by email and phone. One day, I receive an email from HR saying that I have violated social media policies and they will be withholding my paycheck until I remove the offending post and reread the policy handbook. If I do not reply within three days, my employment will be terminated. I call the HR hotline immediately.

Human Resources Employee: “Human Resources, this is [Employee]. How can I help you?”

Me: “Hi, my name is [My Name]. Could I speak with [HR Manager who emailed me]?”

Human Resources: “Oh, sure. One moment.”

Cue annoying hold music.

HR Manager: “[My Name]?”

Me: “Yes, hi, um, you sent me an email about—”

HR Manager: “You need to take down your post about [Company].”

Me: “But I don’t—”

HR Manager: “We reserve the right to terminate your employment unless you remove it.”

Me: “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

HR Manager: *Long, dramatic sigh* “Please type this address into your web browser.”

He sends me to an Instagram account.

Me: “Okay…”

HR Manager: “There is a post on [date] that clearly violates our policy. You need to take it down or we will hold your paycheck until you do, and/or terminate your employment. The choice is yours.”

I’m annoyed that he is being so aggressive and threatening to fire me over something I didn’t do.

Me: “Um, no, you can’t.”

HR Manager: “Excuse me?”

Me: “This isn’t my page.”

HR Manager: “Are you sure?”

Does he know what a stupid question that is?

Me: “Yes.”

HR Manager: “But it’s—”

Me: “I don’t even have an Instagram. Look at my employee profile. Do I look like the woman in these pictures?”

HR Manager: “One moment.”

I hear his keyboard clicking for a few minutes.

HR Manager: “Thank you for your time, [My Name]. Consider the issue resolved.”

He hung up.

I checked my hiring contract and policy handbook and found nothing at all about social media. I never did find out why they thought it was my page, except that she had tagged the town we both live in and we’re both white women in our thirties. The post in question was a woman in her car wearing the company polo we are supposed to wear when we go out. Probably not the problem, but I’d imagine her giving the middle finger and the caption, “[Company] is making me come outside in this hot-a** weather,” may have had something to do with it.

I hurt my back the day before we go to Maui, and my mom offers to get my luggage while I sit by a small stand that’s selling flowered and beaded necklaces. The worker nods and smiles and talks to a lady walking up. The lady is about fifty and has a husband standing behind her.

Worker: “Hello, ma’am. Would you like to purchase a lei?”

Annoying Lady: “I want one beaded and one flowered.”

Worker: “Of course. The flowers come in five colors and the beaded is wood right here.”

The lady finds her items and walks back over.

Worker: “Your total is $25. Cash or card?”

Annoying Lady: *Yelling* “Are you kidding me?! Those two items should not be over $15. No, you will give them to me for $10.”

The worker steps back as the woman is in her face.

Worker: “I’m sorry, but that is the price and I cannot change it.”

Annoying Lady: “How dare you try to scam me out of my money?! My husband gave me $15 to spend. He works very hard. He is the CEO back home. Give it to me!”

She tries to take the necklace and starts to walk back.

Worker: “Ma’am, this is an airport. You think that you will not be caught on camera for shoplifting?”

She quickly drops the items and runs out of the section.

Worker: “Sorry you had to see that.”

Me: “It’s okay. It’s not your fault some people can be so entitled.”

She offered to give me a discount.

When I am around nineteen years old, I start my first job as an apprentice. I am extremely shy and don’t stand up for myself. I was born in England but my parents are Pakistani.

As this is my first job, I don’t really see the red flags straight away. Firstly, the apprenticeship itself is advertised incorrectly, which I find out when I start working there. My job role is presented like admin/business work according to the job spec, but I end up being a full-time post room assistant. I am very enthusiastic.

Me: “What will we be doing when the post has gone out to the relevant departments?”

Team Leader: “Wait for it to come back.”

Me: “Well, yeah, I get that, but what about the other stuff?”

Team Leader: “Nope, wait for it to get back.”

That was just the first day.

After that, I never really saw my team leader. She told me she was my manager. My colleagues were all over fifty and were a very tight-knit group. I was the youngest person in the whole building and the only Pakistani. I had a colleague who did the same job but was getting paid double as she was the favourite; she also claimed to be my supervisor. She was the youngest of her group and actually POUTED and threw a tantrum that I was the youngest and she wasn’t anymore. She reminded me of this all the time.

Whenever I asked for more training for my apprenticeship and my college tutor asked me to do more stuff to complete the apprenticeship, both the team leader and “supervisor” would remind me that it was not part of my job role. I stayed quiet as I did not want to upset anyone.

As an apprentice, we had two hours per day to complete the assigned theory work. During this time, my “supervisor” would remind me that the afternoon post was back and that I needed to sort it. Every time, I reminded her of this, she would go to complain to the team leader. In the end, I ended up completing the work at home. I also informed my college tutor of this.

This had an effect on my mental health and I ended up going home crying on most days. I would call in sick as I couldn’t hack another day of working with these colleagues and was planning on quitting. My mum reminded me that as I was working for a good company, a better opportunity would come along.

At the end of the apprenticeship, I was told by my manager that they needed to extend the apprenticeship as I had not completed all my work. Around the same time, we had a new colleague a year younger than me who was a white male. His father was the head of the finance department. He was shown all the ropes and quickly became the favourite. He would sit around the office whilst I completed all the tasks and would use the excuse of training. The team leader and “supervisor” would always back him up.

I then went to Pakistan to get married and took a month’s leave. I also wanted to relax and have some me-time. Both my team leader and colleague asked me if I would be coming back to work after the leave. I found this odd but said yes. The last week before my leave, I was again reminded to come back. I asked another colleague why this was and she told me that a previous colleague went to India to get married and kept giving sick notes but they believed she had quit. This was ten years before I started working there, but I was compared to her because she was Asian, as well.

The final straw was after I came back. The first thing I got was, “We have so much work saved for you! I’m so glad you came back; we had another apprentice lined up in case you didn’t come back.”

I then applied for another job in the same company straightaway and surprisingly got the job. It is a customer service job where I deal with people all day. My team leaders and managers are all really nice and much more diverse than my last colleagues. I am so glad I stuck with it because I am in a much better place and enjoy my job.

My mum really gave me the best advice. I have come out of my shell and am much more confident as a person. I later found out that another colleague was on the same job scale as me and had been asking for a pay rise. She quit after FIFTEEN YEARS!

I’m glad I got out of there. The new male colleague is still there and keeps complaining about how much work he needs to do. The team leader and “supervisor” took early retirement due to job stress. I guess that’s Karma.

A customer who looks to be no older than twenty-three or twenty-four walks in with three kids, all under the age of five.

Me: “Oh, wow! You’ve got quite a handful today!”

Customer: *Laughs* “They keep me on my toes, that’s for sure!”

We chat a little bit while I process her transaction.

Me: “…and there’s your receipt. Have a nice day!”

Customer: “Thanks! You, too!”

Me: *Waves to her kids* “Bye, you guys!”

My coworker asks me a question, so I turn around to answer her. When I turn back around, the customer and the youngest child are gone, but the two older ones, who are about four and two, are standing there.

Me: “What the… Hey, munchkin, where’s your mommy?”

They stare at me.

Me: “[Manager]! Did you see where my last customer went?”

Manager: “Out the door. Looks like her car is still there.”

Me: “Make sure they don’t go running into the street. I’ll be back.”

I sprint out the door and across the parking lot.

Me: “Ma’am! You forgot something!”

Customer: “Nope, I know they’re there. I told them to wait while I loaded up the baby.”

Me: “What?!”

Customer: “Well, you were right there, and you’re so nice, so I assumed it was fine.”

Me: “But you don’t know me.”

Customer: “You work here, so you’re okay. I just know.”

Me: “You don’t know me, though. It’s not safe to leave your kids—”

Customer: “But you work here!”

Me: *Facepalm*

Related:
Aisle Be Watching The Kids

I work in a grocery store bakery. Our bakery does not have a register and no one in the bakery is trained to use one. This customer approaches my counter when I’m just about to close and am the only person in the department.

Customer: “How much are these croissants?”

Me: “They’re $3.99, $2 with a club card.”

Customer: “I don’t have one of your stupid cards. Here, just take four.”

The customer tries to hand me cash.

Me: “Sorry, I don’t have a register; you have to pay for that up front or in the deli department next door.”

Customer: “I’m not walking all the way up front! Stop being lazy and just take the f****** money!”

Me: “Your purchases need to go through a register, and I’m not even trained to use one. Please stop trying to hand me your money and go find a clerk to process your transaction.”

Customer: “F*** you! I can’t believe you won’t let me pay you because you’re lazy. Get me a manager! I’m going to have your stupid a** fired!” 

Me: “Mmkay.”

I page over a manager and the customer is “nice” enough to explain the entire situation exactly before I can speak, albeit belligerently and loudly.

Manager: “Ma’am, every purchase needs to go through a register so we can keep track of what is sold and how much money is being earned; that’s how a business works.”

Customer: “Shut up! Thieves!”

The customer throws her money in my face and runs out of the store with the croissants.

Me: “So, uh, what now?” 

The manager picks up the money and begins counting.

Manager: “She left $20.” *Shuffles through it* “Here’s $16; consider it a tip. Too tired to deal with this s***.”

Related:
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 13
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 12
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 11
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 10
Lack Of Register Does Not Register, Part 9