Fired & Hired

Tyler was fired from his job. I partly felt like crying, but more largely felt like saying, “You can all go to hell.” Here are 9 reasons why:

1. Tyler was called in at 9:00 p.m. on Mother’s Day - MOTHER’S DAY – to be fired. Tyler, the only employee married to a mother. 

2. Every time we were given a paycheck, we were given these instructions, “Deposit this in three days. Don’t cash it.” Thank you for telling me how to handle my earned money.

3. From January to April, all but two checks bounced. Including return check fees, the total amount owed was over $900. I’m no chump. I cashed that sucker, Sucker.

4. We picked up our last check the Monday after Mother’s Day and everyday we go to the bank to see if there are sufficient funds. It’s been a week and a half and the schmuck doesn’t have a lousy $357 in his account. I don’t let my own checking account get that low and I’m legally impoverished.

5.  I did quite a bit of work for the restaurant – I painted spirals on a huge wall, redid the menu boards (in their defense, it took me 7 months to finish), redecorated and baked cupcakes from scratch. The owner came to Rexburg a few times a month and never once bothered to learn who I was.

6.  The reason given for Tyler’s termination was, “Some employees complained.” “They complained” during interviews while Tyler was out of town (for a school sponsored trip which Tyler gave 8 months notice). Tyler was never interviewed.

7. What were the complaints? “I don’t know. You can call the owner.” We left a voice message, and 9 days later, we haven’t heard back.

8. Tyler has worked in many kitchens and knows his health code regulations. Many are violated daily.

9. Tyler was THE BEST employee they had. I don’t say this because he was my favorite employee. I say this because I heard this from several of his friends, customers and coworkers. He was promoted to assistant manager after only a few months, he was the best cook, the most loyal to the business, the most honest and direct to his coworkers; and while yes, I imagine some employees did complain about him, I believe it was because he took the job most seriously.  He had a family to support and he expects people to not be stupid.

You might ask, “Why did Tyler work under such conditions for so long?” If you’ve ever tried to find work in Rexburg, you know the answer. When you find someone who will hire you despite your weird school schedule, you stay.

On the Tuesday after Mother’s Day, Tyler printed out 10 copies of his resume and hastily began his new job search. He never made it to the second place on his list. He was called in for an interview and hired 2 hours later. One week down and his first paycheck cleared.