It's only a matter of time now...
Well, had yet another incident at work today that has me seriously considering transfer. I mean, my joke about that in my last post (re: "Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...") wasn't all that serious, but now...

I've talked about how we've been short staffed for a while now. Now we are down to three managers, every last one of them edgy and irritated like all the servers, except moreso (with good reason, granted). Half the good people keep transferring, and my "joking" about transferring myself probably hasn't helped much--I should really keep my mouth shut about that. I rather opened a can of worms, today, however.

It actually started yesterday, when Kelly needed to leave to visit her sister, Terrie, in the hospital. Terrie used to work with us, then transferred. Well, management agreed to let Kelly move around, so she could leave earlier, but they couldn't let her go for the day. And she hadn't had a day off in weeks.

I know we're short staffed, and I know that there wasn't much we could do in that situation. But why not? I've never seen us this short staffed before. It brings to mind the time I had a serious family issue occur last year, and, remarkably, Ron let me have off my entire Friday double. If that had happened this year, would I have been able to? Or would I have had to find someone to cover me? Keeping in mind I was in no state, emotional or otherwise, to do more than to (try to) deal with the emergency at hand.

I felt so sympathetic for Kelly when the hospital called her again to tell her Terrie had another stroke this morning. That hit me especially hard, so I could only imagine how Kelly could be taking it right now. Management instantly agreed to let her go, ASAP.

Am I saying that management is inconsiderate and heartless? Far from it. Again, I know we are short staffed and everyone's being stretched beyond their limits. These are just bad situations that manage to crop up, and we're coping the best we can. Part of that is that there is lack of communication, which has been a bugger of an irritation. There is one problem that seems to be the root of all the rest of them--lack of staff.

The good staff is walking out, so in desperation, management grabs whoever is breathing off the street and throws them on the floor. Unfortunately, some of those people are just not qualified to serve, and the store as a whole suffers, financially and just generally in the area of well being. Some are good, but need stiffening up; only problem is, in an attempt to keep our heads above water, minor issues (and a few major ones) are allowed to slide where a termination would be in order. The "fear of God" just isn't in the newer staff. And all that has led to the newest problem: theft.

Apparentally, someone's been picking cash payments off the tables as of late. That's bad for the server, because every penny comes out of his or her own pocket. It's happened before, sadly. However, it has never happened to drawer people. Drawer people being people (like me) who start out with $15o at the beginning of the shift and turn every last cent in, plus whatever sales were gained during the course of the shift. The extra sales are put into a blue bag and given to the manager at the end of the day.

Yesterday, I counted like usual. I double counted like usual. Then, not like usual, I recounted everything again, being mindful of wanting to be accurate yesterday. Turns out it was (ironically) for naught. Management told me this morning I was short $2o yesterday.

?_?;;;

Management went on to say that the bartender was also short $2o, that everyone else was short some sort of amount, and that Kelly let a $25 giftcard walk without payment. That is just way too bizarre for words. One or two of us, I might understand, but everyone?! And Kelly never lets anyone walk--that just doesn't make sense.

I swore up and down that I was even. It would have shown up yesterday if I were short. I can even recall in my mind's eye how the cash sales were--2os and ones. Management queried me on handing out a $25 giftcard to anyone, to which I also denoted a negative. I have to pay back the missing $2o.

I've only had one bill go legitimately missing before. All other times, the payments had either been misplaced or caught in the back of the drawer. But I know that I did not lose that $2o, and I want so much to fight for the right to prove it wasn't me. One incident that tipped me off was what Kelly told me today. Turns out someone had left a blue bag on a table in one of the sections the other day. Well, that was the exact same section that management had been in when I turned my blue bag in for the day. I have this hunch that management forgot about it, someone snitched a $2o (remember that it was all 2os and ones that day) and bolted. Kelly actually had to take the bag to management and say, "Look, you left this out on a table." If it was my bag, I shudder to think what would have happened if someone had taken the whole thing--it was busy yesterday, and I had pulled a decent amount of money. I was not about to pay money that was lost because of someone else's fault. That's like the bank saying, "Oh, we dropped a bag of your money out the window on our way to the vault, so you need to pay us for that."

No. Hell no.

Pissed? Damn straight I am. (Cursing and everything, how very unGinny of me. XP) Been POed all day about this, and still am. This is putting me further into brokeness. And it's not my fault--which is completely unfair to me.

I don't want to say it's management's fault, but I can't find any other reason (not that I'm living in the Land of Reason at the moment--I'm sure there's an explanation, but I'm seeing far too much red right now to look for one). I'm already desperately broke as it is, and I am not going to lose money to cover someone else's inability to handle their responsibility. Not to mention how this affects my reputation.

If this is another server (and some suspect it could be one of the newbies), then it's just horrible. Like Kelly said, if they needed money enough, why not just ask? Put your pride down for a little bit, versus causing all this aggravating suspicion (sp) and problems among the servers. To say nothing of the lawfulness of it all (I caught a server writing in a tip where he shouldn't have--management wanted to fire him, but couldn't, because we are so short staffed). And I don't even want to think about the possibility of it being one of the managers. I refuse to.

I probably didn't deal with this situation in the best way today--I was so furious at being accused of losing money and being held accountable for it that I ranted for a good part of the shift, then loudly declared (in front of management, no less, way to go me >_>) if this kept up, I was transferring. I shouldn't have done that. Shannon will be dealing with me soon enough, I wager. Gaw...

So yeah, seriously thinking about going to that store closer to me. Full staff, new customers, TIPS (that'd be nice, heh). Yeah, there'd probably be problems there, but eh...why haven't I done it before? Because there's no one else willing or able to take my shifts. That'd shortstaff management even more, and piss them off, hurting me in the long run if I ever wanted a recommendation from any of them. Eh, I think it's time to talk to management about this.

Or just get another job entirely. Being a food server for nearly four years is something...I'm just frazzing tired of it.

OK, God, I asked for a sign about jobness. I take it this is it?

FFX-2 Stats
YUNA
Gunner-1oo%
Gunmage-21%; Silver Bullet: 2/2o (Abilities Learned: Fire Breath, Seed Cannon, Absorb, Bad Breath)
Alchemist-2%; Potion: o/1o
Warrior-1oo%
Samurai-6%; Spare Change: o/2o
Dark Knight-N/A
Berserker-3%; Cripple: 1/2o
Songstress-94%; need Magical Dances, Vol. I and II (MP Mambo, Magical Masque: o/2o)
Black Mage-1o%; Focus: 2/1o
White Mage-1oo%
Lady Luck-N/A
Thief (equipped)-5o%; Item Hunter: 12/6o
Trainer-N/A
Mascot-N/A
Floral Fallal-1oo%
Right Pistil-1oo%
Left Pistil-1oo%

RIKKU
Gunner-5%; Potshot: 5/2o
Gunmage-9o%; learning abilities (Abilities Learned: Fire Breath, Seed Cannon, Absorb, Bad Breath, Heaven's Cataract, Blaster)
Alchemist-2%; Potion: o/1o
Warrior-6%; Sentinel: 2/2o
Samurai-6%; Spare Change: o/2o
Dark Knight-N/A
Berserker-71%; Evade and Counter: 198/4oo
Songstress-2%; Perfect Pitch: o/1o
Black Mage (equipped)-73%; Thundaga: 14/1oo
White Mage-1oo%
Lady Luck-N/A
Thief-1oo%
Trainer-N/A
Mascot-N/A
Machina Muzzle-92%; need Machine Reactor (Break HP Limit, o/2o)
Smasher-R-92%; need Machine Reactor (Break HP Limit, o/2o)
Crusher-L-92%; need Machine Reactor (Break HP Limit, o/2o)

PAINE
Gunner-5%; Potshot: 5/2o
Gunmage-9o%; learning abilities (Abilities Learned: Fire Breath, Seed Cannon, Bad Breath, Heaven's Cataract, Blaster)
Alchemist-32%; X Potion: 117/16o
Warrior (equipped)-68%; Excalibur: 8/12o
Samurai-1oo%
Dark Knight-N/A
Berserker-3%; Cripple: o/2o
Songstress-2%; Perfect Pitch: o/1o
Black Mage-1oo%
White Mage-3%; Vigor: o/2o
Lady Luck-N/A
Thief-3%; First Strike: o/4o
Trainer-N/A
Mascot-N/A
Full Throttle-86%; need Victor Primoris and Corpus Invictus (Break HP Limit, Break Damage Limit: o/2o)
Dextral Wing-82%; need Victor Primoris and Corpus Invictus (Break HP Limit, Break Damage Limit: o/2o)
Sinistral Wing-82%; need Victor Primoris and Corpus Invictus (Break HP Limit, Break Damage Limit: o/2o)

Robert would be proud. ^_^ And now you know what Ginny does with her spare time these days. O_o;