My older sister and I worked in a cafeteria/restaurant. One day, the elderly waitresses banded together and demanded the younger waitresses split their tips with the older waitresses because, “They’re younger and get from table to table faster than we do.” 

They also tried demanding the younger waitresses bus their tables for them.

None of this flew with corporate, or even the manager of that particular building, but it was still pretty sad that that was even attempted.

If you feel you’re too old to work as a waitress sufficiently enough to make the money you need, don’t expect the younger folks to pay you their cut.

Colleague: “[My Name], you’re good with computers. The computer won’t come on.”

Me: “Okay, I’ll take a look.”

(I walk into the staff room where the computer is, look at the monitor, and see the light is indicating it’s on standby. I check both plugs, and make sure both the monitor and unit are plugged in and turned on at the switch. I look at the unit and see no power light.)

Me: *thinking* “Surely not, [Colleague] must have tried the power button.”

(Just in case, I press the power button. The computer then hums into life and the screen comes on. I leave the staff room.)

Me: “Fixed it.”

Colleague: “That was really quick; what was wrong with it?”

Me: “Nothing, it was turned off, so I just pressed the power button on the unit.”

Colleague: “That’s it?”

Me: “Yes.” 

(Then, I went back to work, wondering how someone could be so stupid not to try something so obvious.)

(I work at a very popular video game store. Two big-name titles just came out today. I’m scheduled off but get a call from my manager.)

Manager: “Hey, are you busy tonight?”

Me: “I mean, I was gonna play [New Game].”

Manager: “Apparently, so is [Coworker], who called off claiming food poisoning. Can I talk you into coming in?”

(I work for a kid’s craft company, I have an area in a shopping center with tables and chairs and the kids can come and do a free craft with us. One school holiday, I’m working with a young girl who is about 16 and the kids are coloring in animal masks. There’s a young family with two kids coloring and a mum holding a baby. The mum begins to breastfeed the child and my coworker comes over to me.)

Coworker: *shocked* “She shouldn’t be doing that in here.”

Me: *only just noticing her breastfeeding now because she was very discreet* “She’s just feeding her baby; it’s fine.”

Coworker: “But there are children around here; she should be doing that in private, not in the middle of the shops. We should ask her to stop or leave.”

Me: *shocked at my coworker* “Just leave it. It’s illegal to ask her to leave because she is breastfeeding.”

(Since I was a few years older than her and the lead person for that job — we don’t have supervisors or managers at the center — she left it. I was so shocked to think that my coworker, who I’d worked with a few times already, would want to ask the mom to leave. The mom and her kids came back a few more times that week and the next week, which was a different craft, and she continued to breastfeed whilst her kids did the craft. I’m so happy we could help keep her two older children occupied whilst she fed the baby. I’m sure it can be overwhelming to have to take two kids and a baby out without anyone else to help you.)

(I’m having a conversation with a coworker while another coworker is sitting nearby.)

Coworker #1: “Yeah, I actually grew up in England.”

Coworker #2: “You’re from England?! So, like, you speak French?”

([Coworker #1] and I just look at her with confused looks.)

Coworker: “Or Italian — I don’t know what they speak in England!”