This Place Is The Pits

I work in a BBQ restaurant as the pitmaster, so I run the smokers and handle all raw meat preparation. I have to get there by 5 or 6 AM, depending on the day, in order to have food ready to open the restaurant at 11 AM.

The General Manager decided she was spending too much on labor and needed to cut my hours. As such, she told me at around 2 PM on a Thursday the following:

General Manager: “I need you to clock out by 1 PM every day, no matter what.”

I asked for it in writing and got it.

So, the next day, I went to the Head Chef when I got there and said that the General Manager said I had to be out by 1 PM no matter what, and showed him the signed note.

I set an alarm on my phone and got to work.

I got through all the prep for the next day and was starting on the cleaning when my alarm went off. Now the pit area looked awful. The walls had some smoke stains that come off pretty easily with degreaser, but build up over time, the cooler floor had some blood on it that needed to be cleaned up before it spoiled and started smelling bad, my table had some seasoning left on it from where I seasoned the pork for the overnight load, the walls still had bits of skin, gristle, etc stuck to them, the trash can was full.

I told the head chef:

Me: “Well, it’s 1 PM, and I have to go.”

He looked in the pit and said:

Head Chef: “Yep… This is what I expected…”

But he let me clock out and go.

This goes on for about a week, with the pit looking worse and worse each day. Then the District Manager comes in on my day off… The Head Chef told me that the District Manager immediately started on the General Manager for the pit, looking awful, and how the pitmaster needed to stay until the pit was clean no matter what.

So I got it in writing and am now currently working until about 2:30 PM every day, doing the full cleaning I was doing before again…