The Great Resignation, Part 2

I was working as a fast-food cashier at my first real job. Usually, whenever I ran low on change the manager would tell me to “make it work” and “round up or down.” I hated that, especially because if my drawer was low, I had to return the money. (I didn’t know I had rights.) One day all the managers were in a meeting and I was running low on quarters, I timidly asked if someone could get me some.

Manager: “No. Just make it work. Use dimes or nickels.”

I take a few more orders while asking if the customers happened to have any quarters. Finally, I’m down to one last quarter in the drawer. A customer orders, she has something like ninety cents in change owed to her.

Me: “I’m sorry, but do you have an extra dime? I’m out of quarters and don’t have enough to give you change.”

Customer: “How can you be out of f****** quarters!? Just get your manager!”

Me: “They’re over there. They’re all in a meeting right now and can’t give me any change.”

Customer: “Fine! Just give me whatever the f*** you do have then! Hurry up!”

Me: “Yes, ma’am, but again I’m out of quarters.”

I hand her ninety cents in one quarter, all my dimes, and a ton of nickels.

Customer: “What the f*** is this s***?! How dare you give me that much change!? I’m going to get you fired you stupid little b****!”

She goes to my managers, slams the money on the table, and yells at them for what I gave her. The manager refunded her money, gave her the order for free, and yelled at me for “not telling them I was low on quarters” and “how dare I give change like that to a customer” and “if you ever do that again you will be fired!”

A few months later I walked out while on shift, two coworkers walked out the same day when they found out I quit. Then over the next two weeks, almost every single employee that wasn’t a manager walked out, quit, or gave their two weeks notice. It’s been seven years and that fast food joint is still so understaffed that they hand out fliers begging people to apply.

Related:
The Great Resignation