#so my messages trying to arrange Christmas cover and explaining today for the 400th time and stopping everyone arguing with each other

[butleroftoast]

[Under the read more: rant about work which got out of hand. My apologies, ignore me.]

Background: work has been absolutely exhausting lately. I haven’t had a lunchbreak in several weeks because it’s been too busy, I’m coming in early and leaving late (mostly unpaid), we’ve had extra stuff going on on top of already relentless days, and on the rare chance I get a day off I am literally so tired I’m shaking and unable to do much. The stress is making me actually, physically ill. I convinced senior management to let us have an extra person for the festive period but it was like pulling teeth, and is still barely enough. Managing my section on top of this is nigh-on impossible because I do not have time to do anything, let alone admin, but I’m giving it my best.

There’s a special event happening today which requires us to close early and help out with something new. It’s totally unnecessary and used to be held elsewhere on-site (which didn’t require shutting down a whole section), but whatever, we’re flexible, we’re game, we’ll do it (also we don’t have a choice because senior management made the decision without discussing it with us, as usual).

Despite not having enough time to feed myself, let alone talk to colleagues, I’ve passed on all the information I can to my team, bearing in mind that we’ve never done this before. I’ve given said information verbally multiple times and also in writing. My team know they can always message me if they have further questions. The final thing I did on my last shift was leave a prominent message explaining what was going to happen, who was going where, and what they would be doing there. I was so tired I could barely lift the pen, but I knew if I didn’t do it someone would moan about not being told anything.

This morning - one of those rare days off for me - I was woken up by a message from (who else) X, warning me that senior management was about to phone. Apparently they asked X what was happening, and X told them they had no idea what was going on today and hadn’t heard anything from me.

Senior management are now of the opinion that I’ve got zero communication and organisational skills. My one saving grace is that I do have the written proof of telling X what was happening, but by my next shift senior management will have assumed I’m incompetent and lost interest, because it never occurs to them to support or encourage their staff. All they ever do is criticise and then move on.

(Tangent: way back in the spring, we had a review of my start as a supervisor. With absolutely no training, I’d brought my section back after an entire year of being closed due to covid and losing all of our experienced staff. “How do you think it’s gone, Tozby?” “I think we’ve done reasonably well, considering the problems we’ve faced, and all of the new staff are working really hard.” “I disagree.” Why did management disagree? Because I hadn’t put a fruit bowl on the counter, and one morning three weeks prior we were so busy that senior management had to wait for their coffee while we served customers (senior management don’t allow us a coffee break, by the way).)

I am so tired. I am tired of this field, I am tired of X’s bullshit, and I am tired physically. Every time my phone pings I want to throw it at a wall, because it’s always, always, X starting drama over nothing. I would quit, but I need money and what else can I do? My only qualifications are in the arts, my only experience is in this work I’m so burnt out by, my mental health is atrocious, and there are no job opportunities in my area.

Anyway. Merry Christmas.

Yours sincerely, Someone in the Retail, Hospitality and Catering Sector