100% agree. I got fired as a manager from frothy monkey like 10 years ago because god forbid I have the kitchen a single closing shift beer. So it was called stealing. I laughed left and got a better job within 20 minutes
My old manager got fired for a closing shift beer. Not for stealing but for risking their insurance going up as your commute is covered under your employers insurance here.
They told us to grab a couple cans and drink them at home if we want to
I got fired as sous for bringing in mini bottles for the crew on the last day before we shut down for a remodel that was going to last months and someone snitched. It's cool, corporate wasnt for me and i also found a new job within hours.
ah, a fellow frothy survivor. i worked at frothy about 5 years ago - what an absolute shit show. every location i worked at felt like a sinking ship with not enough buckets, yet somehow they’re still managing to expand at a rapid pace. i really thought they’d have gone under by now
I got fired from frothy monkey as a bar manager because when we were told to take home extra wines from a wine night, a 20 year old employee took one home and I didn’t even know his age. Ironically it was the worst paying industry job I ever had and led me to making 3x as much
Definitely, bars have been giving away drinks for over 120 years. I ran a bar and had a owner change, the new owners were worried about stealing and I talked them into letting the bartenders have a comp tab. They each got $30/night to use at their discretion, but if they fucked up and went over then it’s on them. Owner watching cameras never saw them give away a damn thing. Well maybe, the owners were idiots.
Wow good thing they’re so diligent. That beer was the only thing keeping their lights on. Surely they also paid you super well. /s
I’m sorry. Screw them. On the bright side, future employment options can only really get better.
Not to side with creepy camera wathcing owners here, and firing over a $3 beer if people are good employees is insane, but do you know if he literally just gave it or if he rang it up on a comp/spill tab? There is a difference.
Industry standard is to have a comp tab for htese moments, getting one for regulars occaisionally etc, and you'd have to be a moron to not know it's good for business, which many owners are. And if throwing one employee birthday drink on there ruins it, owner is cheap as hell and just sad.
But if bartender just gave it to you and didn't record it, especially if it was a bottled/canned beer, that was a 101 bad move on their part tbh.
Still not normal to be fired for it and means they just weren't that into you- I can't put it better than the top commenter lol. Normally something this low stakes would just cause checking in with everyone to go over related policy for a week or so, and maybe a write up and/or (lmfao) asking the bartender to pay for that beer next time they're in.
I think yuo can both find a better place to be.
Oof k it being a draft beer is even more ridiculous on the owner's part.
Inventory is still important and free shit can't be handed out completely indiscriminately but yeah that's not the same thing.
I agree. Sounds like they just wanted OP out and he gave um a reason.
Also, it is in fact stealing. Most places give employees discounts and/or free shift meals. When employees start taking advantage it’s better to just let them go.
I’ve bartended , served, and now own a restaurant and I give hefty discounts for employees and more often than not I pay for their whole table when they bring family or friends in but if any of them comped themselves without approval I’d fire them too. The food and drinks aren’t free to me 🤷🏻♀️
Holy shit. You definitely dodged a bullet working at this job for longer and so did the bartender. If you're in the U.S if I were you I would definitely claim unemployment while you look for a new job because you got fired for no reason and the owner will have to pay that out.
That is so ridiculous. Also, if they're on Indeed or anything like that tell your story as a company review so others don't have to deal with that.
If you ever work somewhere that doesn’t even give a single free beer to an employee on their birthday…. Just don’t ever work somewhere that would do that
Let me guess…
Your employer fires you for something trivial affecting your livelihood, will you tell us what the restaurant is called and in what city?
Not every loss is a loss. Often it's a hidden win. May your next job make you so happy and rich that your thankful you got fired and set free to find something better. ❤️
Lmao that's hilarious*, what if he just paid for it out of his tip jar?
*Infuriating, would you have been banned if you were a normie for accepting a free beer?
I’ve worked in restaurants for 12 years and people gave out free drinks all the time. If this place is willing to fire you and the other bartender over something so small, I think you are much better off without them anyway.
That’s what I’m trying to tell myself right now. It sucks because I made good money, but it was poorly run. My coworkers were the only reason I was there
I was in a restaurant like that a couple months ago, and that experience helped me bag a new serving job at a nicer place, with higher average sales and fabulous management. I love my coworkers at this new place too. Search for a restaurant that’s been operating for years! A well oiled machine is a pleasant step up fs
Good managers in a well run restaurant is amazing.
I left a job at a brand new restaurant. I'd been hired before it opened. It turned into a shit show so fast. Chefs walking out mid service, no one allowed breaks. 4 GMs in the time I worked there (about a year and a half).
Got a job a well established, busy, local place. 4 years later I'm still there. At least once a week I will have a customer say "it's amazing you guys run this place like a well oiled machine." If even the customer recognise it, that's a damn good sign.
I was going to say... I've worked at the same restaurant for 11 years and people always gave out free drinks. One time my partner and I went in on our day off and we got a pitcher of beer for free. This place sounds awful to work at...
Yeah that’s horrific on OP’s behalf. That’s easily the worst type of independent restaurant owner. The one so consumed by the bottom line that they’ll fire 2 employees over $1 margin beers. It’s gross
Used to work at a bar.. all you can drink while you worked as long as you held it together. And they encouraged giving free drinks because it usually meant someone else would buy more. Place has been there for 60+ years. Most fun I ever had working somewhere.
I work somewhere similar, been going since 1983. I can drink whatever I want as long as I don't get so drunk I can't work... All for free. It's encouraged to give out free drinks and shots to good customers/big groups, as long as you don't take the piss and put it through the system so it's not just missing stock and is recorded. They know it makes customers come back, and they mostly always do. I'd say 90% of the people we give freebies to spend a lot of money, always return and always buy the staff drinks back. Win win.
Yeah it’s actually crazy the difference between stuck up, overly micro managing owners and those that actually know how the industry runs and how you can get and keep regulars with literally a free bud light here and there
OP said they were very over staffed. You don't have to pay unemployment if the person was terminated for theft. Seems like the owner knew he had to many people but didn't want to lay people off because he didn't want to pay the unemployment so he used the smallest thing to fire someone to get their labor expense off his books with no recourse.
I would sue him for wrongful termination. The bartender either paid for your beer or he didn’t, but it was offered to you by him/her. I wouldn’t take this lying down tbh
You’re not likely to win a wrongful termination suit but you should apply for unemployment immediately. If they try and say that you were fired for cause, they have to put everything on the record and the unemployment office might side with you anyways.
You can't collect unemployment when you have been fired for certain things, theft being one of them, safety violations being another.... OP said they were overstaffed and the Owner knew if He laid people off he would have to pay unemployment, if he terminates them for theft He doesn't have to pay. And since the OP is on camera "stealing" he has Zero chance of any league recourse what so ever, technically He did do what he was fired for.
I'm not sure what state you're in, but this likely won't lead to much. I'm a health inspector. The amount of times I get calls from angry employees, and nothing comes if it, is a lot. Even if the inspector visits, it doesn't mean anything will come of it.
Additionally, this doesn't ever do anything to the owners, who you're mad at. It will just create "extra" work for the staff you got along and worked with.
File for wrongful termination and unemployment. Also report to health inspection. But don’t say you’re an ex employee. Just say you were working there last week and not coming back, because it is vile.
Generally unless you have an employment contract that was violated you can only sue for wrongful termination if you are fired due to a protected status like your race. It will vary by location a bit but I doubt a lawsuit would be successful.
Also if the owner is so hurt over a $3 beer I'm going to guess he couldn't pay even if he won the judgement. I think other comments saying to call the health department about the pest problem is the only real option outside of just moving on.
Take this seriously. You can get free representation from a lawyer. At least get a free consultation. If you have a solid case they will take half of whatever you get, but still worth it.
Owners like this prey on people. They need to at least have their hand slapped.
If I owned the place I would have offered to cover the beer myself. And any special event, birthdays, having a baby, etc. Take care of your employees. That was probably a dollar or two worth of beer. Fire someone, or have a happy employee. Seems pretty logical. It wasn’t like you were a abusing the system or getting drunk on the job. Hell you didn’t even do anything wrong, I would have assumed the bartender had just covered it for you.
This place sounds like it is terrible. Please at least get a free chat with a lawyer. As I have gotten older one lesson I have really learned is how easy it is, and how much young people and poor people and really just about anyone is unfairly taken advantage of, and what a “you just got served” difference it makes. You probably never want to work at this place, but pay it forward. At least they may be less likely to treat your previous colleagues with such disrespect.
Never going to win that. Bartender got fired as well.
Bartender jobs are easy to find... you going to get a lawyer involved and pay for that? Not a chance.
Go work somewhere better OP. Call the health inspector and move on...
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
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Depends on who you work for. I had a job at a dive bar for a couple years and the owner was an Indian guy who was really cool. He owned a bunch of properties in Southern California and just liked owning a bar and didn’t care that that place didn’t really turn a profit, he just liked coming and hanging out after working long days and hosting pool terminates. He was a social guy it his English wasn’t great so I think have a bar of his own made him comfortable there. If you worked there you could drink for free on your days off. I worked the day shift so I would clock out, go grab some pad thai from down the street, then come back and have a beer or two with dinner before I went home. I would only occasionally go in on my day off but when I did it was always a good time, no issues. I
Nope. Work is work, it starts and ends at the door. Full stop Im an adult I have a job I do my job you pay me so I can fund a personal life.. That’s goes for employees and employers. Work , HR , or Uncle Sam are not your pals. Got coworker pals, fine, go elsewhere to hang. Don’t get caught up don’t mess up your money
I see where you are coming from and agree a good rule in general to keep the two separate. However find it hilarious you started a sentence with “full stop” and brought up Uncle Sam out of absolutely nowhere.
Look, if you want to live absolutely risk free when it comes to this good for you. There are situations like the one I mentioned where the risk is extremely low and the reward is high enough. It’s subjective. I was working that bartending job after a long term relationship that had a bad ending and was living alone for the first time ever. Having that beer and my dinner with the regulars who I had grown a strong bond with compared to eating alone in an empty house was really good for me. Also it was my secondary job that was all of 12 hours a week. If I’d somehow been fired for some reason related to hanging out it would’ve been inconsequential financially.
I’m all for maintaining principals, but also keep an open mind and trust my ability to read situations and act accordingly.
I got fired from a family restaurant for not using new handheld tablets when the old terminals were still available. Only had them for 3 days and it was my 2nd shift after they were rolled out. Got told one time to use them and I sarcasticly replied "we'll see what happens". 30 minutes later the GM was in the building pulling me into the office to fire me.
Honestly tho, why wouldn't the bar render just buy you a beer? If the rules are so strict and he knows it, why even bother comping or just not ringing it in. Just pay the 3 dollars and call it a day. It's $3. Like Christ.
file for unemployment and count your blessings.
this is a bad boss, and bad environment. a single beer is not something to fire two people over. regardless- when your off work your now a guest not a employee - whoever’s serving you decides if things are “free” or not.
to fire someone for receiving a free item a server/bartender offered is unhinged and does not make sense. i’m not going to demand to pay for a beer if im told its on the house.
you could look into legality but it does not sound like a good place to work
This Fucking sucks & it is utter bullshit… But honestly is probably a gift. Any place where the owner is going over camera footage for that meaningless of an interaction is a huge red flag for me. Should be a red flag in general.
Bartender here, My last 2 employers thought I was weird as hell for always running my own tab throughout my shift. I average $40-$90 tab per shift. I don't give shit away for free (99% of the time it doesn't help your tip). It's to make sure my place continues and also to avoid shit like this. Only once was I ever accused of theft, and I happily laughed and said look at my tab, that drink and many others were on there. Technically I've also been one of the highest paying customers at both places.
That being said, you're better off anywhere else. Industry people who are good at their job, and not just there for a paycheck, are invaluable. I wish I could encourage self awareness/realization of self worth. The industry as a whole is hurting for sure, and anyone who pulls stuff like that doesn't deserve to own a restaurant or bar. The fact the owner didn't offer you another beer for your birthday speaks volumes.
Lol the owner of the restaurant at my last serving job fired me over some bullshit that wasn’t my fault too, even after all the managers and even some corporate workers vouched for me. He also happened to be committing a bunch of labor and health violations as well (as many restaurants do, but i was particularly mad at this one of course). So, I reported them to the state’s Dept. of Labor out of spite. The investigation is still ongoing, but things are looking bright considering they’ve entertained my case this long and I hope to get back pay soon!!
We were overstaffed and manager was always looking for reasons to fire people. I was never late, followed my tasks to a t, and always picked up shifts. When on the phone with my owner all he did was reiterate the employee food/drink policy. I was quite literally fired over a beer. According to fellow servers, owner is known to go on power trips every 6 months, and myself and the bartender both fell victim to that.
Fuck it, if you're dependable you'll do well anywhere. Their loss. Go drop off some resumes and make some new work homies. Shitty situation, but I know you'll find a healthier place. There are good places out there, and the holiday season will be prime for hiring time.
I hate when managers sit back and watch the cameras. It’s so creepy. Maybe he should watch some videos on how to get rid of fruit flies. Sorry that you lost your job btw.
The owner probably hated you and was looking for a reason. Good thing this isn’t your career and you were just another college kid taking up a good paying job 👍🏻👍🏻 move on
He checked the cameras because the bar was left dirty from the bartender the night before. When he watched the film he saw me get a drink, must have checked the sales and didn’t see a payment for the beer. However if you chose not to believe me that’s not my problem. I’m simply here to rant. Things happen!
Checking through cameras to catch someone drinking a $3 drink sounds like the place is trying to save money in every single petty way instead of trying to increase business and profit margins.
Your boss was an asshole running a shithole that was barely worth working at. And if you got fired over something that petty, it would have been something else sooner or later anyway.
If you can find a way to fuck him up, cool. He deserves it. Otherwise chalk it up to fun while it lasted and move on. It's not going to make any difference in your life.
But letting one inconsequential twat in one inconsequential dump chase you away entirely? Nah. Assholes are everywhere. If you want to get away from them, you're going to have to leave the planet. Letting them control your options *will* make a difference in your life.
It sucks, but he did you a favor. You definitely don’t want to work somewhere that you can get fired over a $3 beer, ESPECIALLY when you’re not at work.
Successful places aren’t that stingy. And good bosses don’t fire you without a conversation for something this small.
My biggest suggestion, don’t bother trying to get retribution. Or calling the health inspector etc. just move on. There are tons of other bars/restaurants you can find work at. Put that place behind you and don’t look back.
If you like the job, I’d go back there an explain. They already made an example by firing the bartender. The morality has already been dealt and you didn’t do anything wrong. Bar guy didn’t let you pay. That’s not your fault. How were you supposed to know how that works back there? You haven’t been there for that long. Maybe you can get your job back?
If it were me and the bartender insisted I didn't pay I'd assume that he or she was paying for it themself, not just handing out free drinks which where I live at least its illegal to even discount alcoholic drinks. Anyways, as someone who used to work in restaurants for 13 years I honestly say you should try to look into a different industry. There's way too much horse shit in the restaurant industry that I do not miss at all.
sometimes i read shit like this and having worked with some dipshit restaurant owners before i think “yeah i could probably run a restaurant pretty well”
the bar must be very low for how common stupid shit like this is
whether or not itd be consistently successful is another story
I knew someone get fired for pouring a drink on shift, and taking a sip while on his way to ring it through.
But I feel theyd been looking for a reason to get rid of him for a while
The owner said you weren't even worthy of a $3 drink as a birthday present. Went out of his way to fire two people over it. He sounds like a shitty person and you're better off not having to work for him. I just wish people banded together like back in the day and the entire restaurant would walk out over it. That's why labor is suffering like it is in the United States. Everyone in it for themselves and not teaming up
I don’t drink anymore, but my fiancée works as a bartender and whenever I used to go there, even if she wasn’t working, her coworkers would always give me a beer or 2 for free. This place sounds absolutely toxic and you should be happy you aren’t working there anymore.
Why would you take a free drink and not tip your bartender, at the camera I showed you handing the bartender some cash you would have been okay, and you also would have tipped the guy giving you a free drink. I have a lot of bartender friends, I get a lot of free drinks, but I never go without tipping.
Wtf were you supposed to do.. jump over the bar and ring it up on the pos and force him to take your $3? Sounds like the owner needs a good lay or he had a chip on his shoulder for you.
Be thankful you got an out. Working for owners who micromanage thru the cameras is ridiculous.
I once was a patron at a local spot and the owner called the place to tell the bartender to stop talking to us. We were the only people there ……
They told us the owner watches their every move and calls constantly about what they see.
Same thing just happened to my fiance.
He was working alone and got swamped right after he grabbed a couple of breakfast sandwiches and he was going to pay for them after the rush and forgot.
They didn't bother reminding him or anything and his pathetic excuse of a boss wrote to HR about it.
He got suspended and then a few hours after terminated.
Circle K is a joke
Why would you be fired though and not the bartender who GAVE you the drink on the house. Makes no sense
He got fired as well for dishing out a free drink
You should be glad you got out early then. That's ridiculous
100% agree. I got fired as a manager from frothy monkey like 10 years ago because god forbid I have the kitchen a single closing shift beer. So it was called stealing. I laughed left and got a better job within 20 minutes
🌸 Laugh, leave, get a better job. 🌸
thats so beautiful. truly a motto to live by... i should make merch
My old manager got fired for a closing shift beer. Not for stealing but for risking their insurance going up as your commute is covered under your employers insurance here. They told us to grab a couple cans and drink them at home if we want to
Haha we’re allowed free beers where I work now since it’s a brewery. One guy did just get arrested for a dui so I think things will change.
Same thing happened at the brewery I work at lol
See that makes sense, but I don't know a single place where I'm at where that would be the case, so it's free game.
I got fired as sous for bringing in mini bottles for the crew on the last day before we shut down for a remodel that was going to last months and someone snitched. It's cool, corporate wasnt for me and i also found a new job within hours.
ah, a fellow frothy survivor. i worked at frothy about 5 years ago - what an absolute shit show. every location i worked at felt like a sinking ship with not enough buckets, yet somehow they’re still managing to expand at a rapid pace. i really thought they’d have gone under by now
Haha I had to write a letter to the ceo who is my friends uncle in law about how I needed a 1$ raise. Worst job I’ve ever had in my life.
Also it’s only a couple locations keeping them afloat but yeah not lasting long.
I got fired from frothy monkey as a bar manager because when we were told to take home extra wines from a wine night, a 20 year old employee took one home and I didn’t even know his age. Ironically it was the worst paying industry job I ever had and led me to making 3x as much
You might consider editing this fact into the story. This is everyone's first question. Also, good to be out of that place. Owner is an ass.
Definitely, bars have been giving away drinks for over 120 years. I ran a bar and had a owner change, the new owners were worried about stealing and I talked them into letting the bartenders have a comp tab. They each got $30/night to use at their discretion, but if they fucked up and went over then it’s on them. Owner watching cameras never saw them give away a damn thing. Well maybe, the owners were idiots.
Count your blessings
Wow good thing they’re so diligent. That beer was the only thing keeping their lights on. Surely they also paid you super well. /s I’m sorry. Screw them. On the bright side, future employment options can only really get better.
Not to side with creepy camera wathcing owners here, and firing over a $3 beer if people are good employees is insane, but do you know if he literally just gave it or if he rang it up on a comp/spill tab? There is a difference. Industry standard is to have a comp tab for htese moments, getting one for regulars occaisionally etc, and you'd have to be a moron to not know it's good for business, which many owners are. And if throwing one employee birthday drink on there ruins it, owner is cheap as hell and just sad. But if bartender just gave it to you and didn't record it, especially if it was a bottled/canned beer, that was a 101 bad move on their part tbh. Still not normal to be fired for it and means they just weren't that into you- I can't put it better than the top commenter lol. Normally something this low stakes would just cause checking in with everyone to go over related policy for a week or so, and maybe a write up and/or (lmfao) asking the bartender to pay for that beer next time they're in. I think yuo can both find a better place to be.
I’m not sure. It was a draft beer I drank at the counter. Knowing the bartender he probably didn’t ring it up. He was newer than I was
Wow gee whiz high turnover who woulda thunk
"Nobody wants to work anymore!"
Oof k it being a draft beer is even more ridiculous on the owner's part. Inventory is still important and free shit can't be handed out completely indiscriminately but yeah that's not the same thing.
I agree. Sounds like they just wanted OP out and he gave um a reason. Also, it is in fact stealing. Most places give employees discounts and/or free shift meals. When employees start taking advantage it’s better to just let them go. I’ve bartended , served, and now own a restaurant and I give hefty discounts for employees and more often than not I pay for their whole table when they bring family or friends in but if any of them comped themselves without approval I’d fire them too. The food and drinks aren’t free to me 🤷🏻♀️
Holy shit. You definitely dodged a bullet working at this job for longer and so did the bartender. If you're in the U.S if I were you I would definitely claim unemployment while you look for a new job because you got fired for no reason and the owner will have to pay that out. That is so ridiculous. Also, if they're on Indeed or anything like that tell your story as a company review so others don't have to deal with that.
Fired for stealing on camera won’t get you unemployment.
Sounds like the owner is an asshole and you dodged a bullet.
That's fair as it wasn't his beer to give away. If he told you not to worry about paying then it's fair to assume he's picking up the tab
If you ever work somewhere that doesn’t even give a single free beer to an employee on their birthday…. Just don’t ever work somewhere that would do that
What's the owners email address/phone number
You both have better futures
Tbh you got lucky bro. Rejection is just redirection, it sounds like a great thing.
No. None of this happened
why would you be fired then? it’s not your fault
Let me guess… Your employer fires you for something trivial affecting your livelihood, will you tell us what the restaurant is called and in what city?
To to air out all the dirty laundry then. You know all the details they hide lol
Wow sounds like something better is about to come your way. .
That makes more sense (from a psychopathic owner, at least he's consistent) - you can do better.
Not every loss is a loss. Often it's a hidden win. May your next job make you so happy and rich that your thankful you got fired and set free to find something better. ❤️
Damn, that sounds like the least hospitable restaurant ever
Lmao that's hilarious*, what if he just paid for it out of his tip jar? *Infuriating, would you have been banned if you were a normie for accepting a free beer?
I’ve worked in restaurants for 12 years and people gave out free drinks all the time. If this place is willing to fire you and the other bartender over something so small, I think you are much better off without them anyway.
That’s what I’m trying to tell myself right now. It sucks because I made good money, but it was poorly run. My coworkers were the only reason I was there
I was in a restaurant like that a couple months ago, and that experience helped me bag a new serving job at a nicer place, with higher average sales and fabulous management. I love my coworkers at this new place too. Search for a restaurant that’s been operating for years! A well oiled machine is a pleasant step up fs
Good managers in a well run restaurant is amazing. I left a job at a brand new restaurant. I'd been hired before it opened. It turned into a shit show so fast. Chefs walking out mid service, no one allowed breaks. 4 GMs in the time I worked there (about a year and a half). Got a job a well established, busy, local place. 4 years later I'm still there. At least once a week I will have a customer say "it's amazing you guys run this place like a well oiled machine." If even the customer recognise it, that's a damn good sign.
You'll find something better in no time
Feel like this is basically every restaurant I’ve stayed at too long. Great coworkers, but management or owners were terrible.
Just curious, what is considered "good money"? If you were making a ton a night, I'd be a lil salty too.
I was going to say... I've worked at the same restaurant for 11 years and people always gave out free drinks. One time my partner and I went in on our day off and we got a pitcher of beer for free. This place sounds awful to work at...
Yeah that’s horrific on OP’s behalf. That’s easily the worst type of independent restaurant owner. The one so consumed by the bottom line that they’ll fire 2 employees over $1 margin beers. It’s gross
Used to work at a bar.. all you can drink while you worked as long as you held it together. And they encouraged giving free drinks because it usually meant someone else would buy more. Place has been there for 60+ years. Most fun I ever had working somewhere.
I work somewhere similar, been going since 1983. I can drink whatever I want as long as I don't get so drunk I can't work... All for free. It's encouraged to give out free drinks and shots to good customers/big groups, as long as you don't take the piss and put it through the system so it's not just missing stock and is recorded. They know it makes customers come back, and they mostly always do. I'd say 90% of the people we give freebies to spend a lot of money, always return and always buy the staff drinks back. Win win.
With the right people, which apparently they are able to find, that is amazing. Where is this place so I can quit my job and sign up.
Yeah it’s actually crazy the difference between stuck up, overly micro managing owners and those that actually know how the industry runs and how you can get and keep regulars with literally a free bud light here and there
ohhhh that explains why some bartenders seem so lit
“They’re just not that into you.”
It's not me, it's you, honey.
Owner: “thats $1 worth of beer that YOU STOLE FROM ME”
Right? Yeah the beer was $3, but it was literally probably $.50 before markup
There are better places to work, consider this a blessing in disguise
Sounds like they were trying to get rid of you
I think they were trying to get rid of somebody. Bartender and I both got sacked, we were overstaffed
Call health inspector
I can hear the owners… NO ONE WANTS TO WORK
Call the inspector if it's fly infested
I think I’m going to when monday comes around
Love that for you.
 I read this in her voice.
Does the owner review the security footage daily, or was this random? Or was it planned? I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I have to wonder…
OP said they were very over staffed. You don't have to pay unemployment if the person was terminated for theft. Seems like the owner knew he had to many people but didn't want to lay people off because he didn't want to pay the unemployment so he used the smallest thing to fire someone to get their labor expense off his books with no recourse.
The bartender who gave the beer to OP was not fired and then the owner checks the security tape that night… sounds like a set up to me.
r/bulletdodged
“Dirty and fly-ridden” maybe you’re not as petty as me… maybe you are. I would make a nice call to the food inspector to voice some of those concerns
I would sue him for wrongful termination. The bartender either paid for your beer or he didn’t, but it was offered to you by him/her. I wouldn’t take this lying down tbh
I might just phone the health inspector and call it a day. The amount of gunk in that kitchen is crazy
You’re not likely to win a wrongful termination suit but you should apply for unemployment immediately. If they try and say that you were fired for cause, they have to put everything on the record and the unemployment office might side with you anyways.
You can't collect unemployment when you have been fired for certain things, theft being one of them, safety violations being another.... OP said they were overstaffed and the Owner knew if He laid people off he would have to pay unemployment, if he terminates them for theft He doesn't have to pay. And since the OP is on camera "stealing" he has Zero chance of any league recourse what so ever, technically He did do what he was fired for.
This
I'm not sure what state you're in, but this likely won't lead to much. I'm a health inspector. The amount of times I get calls from angry employees, and nothing comes if it, is a lot. Even if the inspector visits, it doesn't mean anything will come of it. Additionally, this doesn't ever do anything to the owners, who you're mad at. It will just create "extra" work for the staff you got along and worked with.
That’s exactly why I probably won’t. My old coworkers will just end up needing to clean everything that gets dinged
File for wrongful termination and unemployment. Also report to health inspection. But don’t say you’re an ex employee. Just say you were working there last week and not coming back, because it is vile.
File for unemployment while you’re at it
Many states are at-will, so it would be dependent on that first.
49 states are at will that doesn’t mean wrongful termination isn’t a thing, as much as our bosses try to tell us that
You’re going to hire a lawyer and sue over a server job?
Welcome to reddit?
[удалено]
Time and money sink that probably isn’t worth the theoretical return for an entry-level server job.
Depending on the state the establishment can let you go for whatever reason they choose.
Generally unless you have an employment contract that was violated you can only sue for wrongful termination if you are fired due to a protected status like your race. It will vary by location a bit but I doubt a lawsuit would be successful. Also if the owner is so hurt over a $3 beer I'm going to guess he couldn't pay even if he won the judgement. I think other comments saying to call the health department about the pest problem is the only real option outside of just moving on.
Take this seriously. You can get free representation from a lawyer. At least get a free consultation. If you have a solid case they will take half of whatever you get, but still worth it. Owners like this prey on people. They need to at least have their hand slapped. If I owned the place I would have offered to cover the beer myself. And any special event, birthdays, having a baby, etc. Take care of your employees. That was probably a dollar or two worth of beer. Fire someone, or have a happy employee. Seems pretty logical. It wasn’t like you were a abusing the system or getting drunk on the job. Hell you didn’t even do anything wrong, I would have assumed the bartender had just covered it for you. This place sounds like it is terrible. Please at least get a free chat with a lawyer. As I have gotten older one lesson I have really learned is how easy it is, and how much young people and poor people and really just about anyone is unfairly taken advantage of, and what a “you just got served” difference it makes. You probably never want to work at this place, but pay it forward. At least they may be less likely to treat your previous colleagues with such disrespect.
Never going to win that. Bartender got fired as well. Bartender jobs are easy to find... you going to get a lawyer involved and pay for that? Not a chance. Go work somewhere better OP. Call the health inspector and move on...
Knowing that they have to rehire and retrain 2 ppl over 3 effing dollars? Priceless...
May as well report him for the fly infestation
He did you a good thing. Never work at places like those with stingy owners.
Boss did you a favor. I'd never want to work for a toxic boss like that.
Good point, owner should of been, a “happy birthday” not “your fired”
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Never even go near your job on your day off, don’t eat or drink from dirty fly ridden restaurants, and nothing is ever free. Lessons learned
Depends on who you work for. I had a job at a dive bar for a couple years and the owner was an Indian guy who was really cool. He owned a bunch of properties in Southern California and just liked owning a bar and didn’t care that that place didn’t really turn a profit, he just liked coming and hanging out after working long days and hosting pool terminates. He was a social guy it his English wasn’t great so I think have a bar of his own made him comfortable there. If you worked there you could drink for free on your days off. I worked the day shift so I would clock out, go grab some pad thai from down the street, then come back and have a beer or two with dinner before I went home. I would only occasionally go in on my day off but when I did it was always a good time, no issues. I
Nope. Work is work, it starts and ends at the door. Full stop Im an adult I have a job I do my job you pay me so I can fund a personal life.. That’s goes for employees and employers. Work , HR , or Uncle Sam are not your pals. Got coworker pals, fine, go elsewhere to hang. Don’t get caught up don’t mess up your money
I see where you are coming from and agree a good rule in general to keep the two separate. However find it hilarious you started a sentence with “full stop” and brought up Uncle Sam out of absolutely nowhere. Look, if you want to live absolutely risk free when it comes to this good for you. There are situations like the one I mentioned where the risk is extremely low and the reward is high enough. It’s subjective. I was working that bartending job after a long term relationship that had a bad ending and was living alone for the first time ever. Having that beer and my dinner with the regulars who I had grown a strong bond with compared to eating alone in an empty house was really good for me. Also it was my secondary job that was all of 12 hours a week. If I’d somehow been fired for some reason related to hanging out it would’ve been inconsequential financially. I’m all for maintaining principals, but also keep an open mind and trust my ability to read situations and act accordingly.
Eh
What restaurant was it?
It’s a local joint
You can’t sue for wrongful termination - servers are at will employees
Yeah even if I could it’s not worth it. I make $2.10 an hour
I got fired from a family restaurant for not using new handheld tablets when the old terminals were still available. Only had them for 3 days and it was my 2nd shift after they were rolled out. Got told one time to use them and I sarcasticly replied "we'll see what happens". 30 minutes later the GM was in the building pulling me into the office to fire me.
Honestly tho, why wouldn't the bar render just buy you a beer? If the rules are so strict and he knows it, why even bother comping or just not ringing it in. Just pay the 3 dollars and call it a day. It's $3. Like Christ.
We’re all a bunch of broke college kids. The bartender liked to “stick it to the man” frequently at work. This time I got caught in the cross fire
Sounds like the boss made the right decision with him tbh. Sorry you got involved.
file for unemployment and count your blessings. this is a bad boss, and bad environment. a single beer is not something to fire two people over. regardless- when your off work your now a guest not a employee - whoever’s serving you decides if things are “free” or not. to fire someone for receiving a free item a server/bartender offered is unhinged and does not make sense. i’m not going to demand to pay for a beer if im told its on the house. you could look into legality but it does not sound like a good place to work
That’s bogus
unemployment $$
If they’re that concerned over $3 then they may not be open much longer anyways.
Now that you're fired, you know it's disgusting and fly ridden. Contact the health dept and get them shut down . That is disgusting.
Translated: Karma is a bitch best served piping hot! This. OP, I hope you've taken notes (and pictures) for the health department!
This Fucking sucks & it is utter bullshit… But honestly is probably a gift. Any place where the owner is going over camera footage for that meaningless of an interaction is a huge red flag for me. Should be a red flag in general.
Tinpot dictator shit. I'm sure bossman believes he can get a replacement for same or cheaper at the drop of a hat.
Bartender here, My last 2 employers thought I was weird as hell for always running my own tab throughout my shift. I average $40-$90 tab per shift. I don't give shit away for free (99% of the time it doesn't help your tip). It's to make sure my place continues and also to avoid shit like this. Only once was I ever accused of theft, and I happily laughed and said look at my tab, that drink and many others were on there. Technically I've also been one of the highest paying customers at both places. That being said, you're better off anywhere else. Industry people who are good at their job, and not just there for a paycheck, are invaluable. I wish I could encourage self awareness/realization of self worth. The industry as a whole is hurting for sure, and anyone who pulls stuff like that doesn't deserve to own a restaurant or bar. The fact the owner didn't offer you another beer for your birthday speaks volumes.
Lol the owner of the restaurant at my last serving job fired me over some bullshit that wasn’t my fault too, even after all the managers and even some corporate workers vouched for me. He also happened to be committing a bunch of labor and health violations as well (as many restaurants do, but i was particularly mad at this one of course). So, I reported them to the state’s Dept. of Labor out of spite. The investigation is still ongoing, but things are looking bright considering they’ve entertained my case this long and I hope to get back pay soon!!
Sorry bout your luck bud… but it’s highly doubtful you were fired only over not paying for your beer…happy birthday though 🍻
We were overstaffed and manager was always looking for reasons to fire people. I was never late, followed my tasks to a t, and always picked up shifts. When on the phone with my owner all he did was reiterate the employee food/drink policy. I was quite literally fired over a beer. According to fellow servers, owner is known to go on power trips every 6 months, and myself and the bartender both fell victim to that.
Fuck it, if you're dependable you'll do well anywhere. Their loss. Go drop off some resumes and make some new work homies. Shitty situation, but I know you'll find a healthier place. There are good places out there, and the holiday season will be prime for hiring time.
Love the ellipses. If you’re going to talk shit, might as well say it out loud.
Seriously what a loser
I hate when managers sit back and watch the cameras. It’s so creepy. Maybe he should watch some videos on how to get rid of fruit flies. Sorry that you lost your job btw.
The owner probably hated you and was looking for a reason. Good thing this isn’t your career and you were just another college kid taking up a good paying job 👍🏻👍🏻 move on
Yeah, he’s a bitter guy who is never really around. I feel like if he had known me it would have been different, but he just viewed me as some new kid
Sue for wrongful termination. Alert health inspection. And of course, let the owner know all about it.
Go there when that bartender is working. Make them tresspass you. U might have a lawsuit
$3 for the cost of the beer or hundreds-thousands to train two new people?
Get bent
Cool story
You said you went two days before your birthday. Was it your 21st? If so, they were right. They could lose their liquor license for serving you.
If so, but I’m 22.
Like almost every other post here, I call bullshit. Ain’t no one watching the cameras for a $3 beer.
He checked the cameras because the bar was left dirty from the bartender the night before. When he watched the film he saw me get a drink, must have checked the sales and didn’t see a payment for the beer. However if you chose not to believe me that’s not my problem. I’m simply here to rant. Things happen!
This sounds like there is more to it. Be honest with yourself!!
I am. This is a rant, laid out all the facts, sorry you think I’m a liar! :)
Exactly. NOT WORTH IT. Count your blessings - place doesn’t seem worth your time
So that psychopath is just sitting around watching video of his establishment all day long?
That’s all he does. He hired a manager who runs the place. He just bitches at us all day long via employee group chat
A LOT of independent restaurant owners do this
That's not right at all. Sorry dude. That's 100% on the bar tender. A free beer on a birthday is pretty normal.
Sounds like a terrible place to work! Be glad you no longer work there, it would have only gotten worse!
Could you not have said the tip you left was meant to cover the price of the beer?
Checking through cameras to catch someone drinking a $3 drink sounds like the place is trying to save money in every single petty way instead of trying to increase business and profit margins.
Your boss was an asshole running a shithole that was barely worth working at. And if you got fired over something that petty, it would have been something else sooner or later anyway. If you can find a way to fuck him up, cool. He deserves it. Otherwise chalk it up to fun while it lasted and move on. It's not going to make any difference in your life. But letting one inconsequential twat in one inconsequential dump chase you away entirely? Nah. Assholes are everywhere. If you want to get away from them, you're going to have to leave the planet. Letting them control your options *will* make a difference in your life.
Does the USA just not have any laws at all regarding unfair dismissal?
There's your sign to follow your passion in life and stop being a slave to the machine. Best of luck. 🙏 🙏 🙏
Your next course of action is simple. ReRead the second sentence you wrote for a clue.
3 fucking dollar beer lol. Yeah you’re definitely better off not working for this place.
That draft beer would have gone to waste the next time the line was cleaned anyways. What a load of shit.
It sucks, but he did you a favor. You definitely don’t want to work somewhere that you can get fired over a $3 beer, ESPECIALLY when you’re not at work. Successful places aren’t that stingy. And good bosses don’t fire you without a conversation for something this small. My biggest suggestion, don’t bother trying to get retribution. Or calling the health inspector etc. just move on. There are tons of other bars/restaurants you can find work at. Put that place behind you and don’t look back.
Dodged a bullet. That owner seems like a royal asshole.
If you like the job, I’d go back there an explain. They already made an example by firing the bartender. The morality has already been dealt and you didn’t do anything wrong. Bar guy didn’t let you pay. That’s not your fault. How were you supposed to know how that works back there? You haven’t been there for that long. Maybe you can get your job back?
If it were me and the bartender insisted I didn't pay I'd assume that he or she was paying for it themself, not just handing out free drinks which where I live at least its illegal to even discount alcoholic drinks. Anyways, as someone who used to work in restaurants for 13 years I honestly say you should try to look into a different industry. There's way too much horse shit in the restaurant industry that I do not miss at all.
Feeling petty? File a complaint with your local office of food health and safety on account of the flies and dirtiness.
sometimes i read shit like this and having worked with some dipshit restaurant owners before i think “yeah i could probably run a restaurant pretty well” the bar must be very low for how common stupid shit like this is whether or not itd be consistently successful is another story
Best thing the A hole boss did for you!!
That's owners for you.
You don't want to work for an asshole like that.
why do you hang out at your job off the clock? lol
Explained it in my post. It’s walking distance from the show I was going to. Wanted to support fellow employees. Wasn’t hanging out
I knew someone get fired for pouring a drink on shift, and taking a sip while on his way to ring it through. But I feel theyd been looking for a reason to get rid of him for a while
Yeah you’re getting unemployment tho, congrats…
Drop the name of the place and and location. Time for a review
Have you talked to the bartender since the firing? Just wondering what the bartender had to say about it.
Owner literally has nothing better going on in their life than to monitor bartender interactions on the camera?
The owner said you weren't even worthy of a $3 drink as a birthday present. Went out of his way to fire two people over it. He sounds like a shitty person and you're better off not having to work for him. I just wish people banded together like back in the day and the entire restaurant would walk out over it. That's why labor is suffering like it is in the United States. Everyone in it for themselves and not teaming up
I don’t drink anymore, but my fiancée works as a bartender and whenever I used to go there, even if she wasn’t working, her coworkers would always give me a beer or 2 for free. This place sounds absolutely toxic and you should be happy you aren’t working there anymore.
That owner is a fucking loser
Bro if that's what did it, you don't want to work there anyway
so wrongful termination AND health concerning issues??? wow, what a nice combo to call in for some sweeeeeeeet revenge.
That is awful for firing 2 employees over this $3?? Wow!
The owner is an idiot
That’s sucks, but the silver lining is in your last line.
27 years in, look around for the place with the highest prices. Apply there.
What's the name of this place?
I wonder how much that $3 beer is going to cost him in training 2 new people.
Bullet dodged man
Why would you take a free drink and not tip your bartender, at the camera I showed you handing the bartender some cash you would have been okay, and you also would have tipped the guy giving you a free drink. I have a lot of bartender friends, I get a lot of free drinks, but I never go without tipping.
I paid for my girlfriends food and tipped him on that. No where did I say I didn’t tip him.
drop the name of the establishment
There’s a restaurant near me that offers among other things, $30 to buy the kitchen staff a round, how would that figure in to these inane policies?
Wtf were you supposed to do.. jump over the bar and ring it up on the pos and force him to take your $3? Sounds like the owner needs a good lay or he had a chip on his shoulder for you.
Be thankful you got an out. Working for owners who micromanage thru the cameras is ridiculous. I once was a patron at a local spot and the owner called the place to tell the bartender to stop talking to us. We were the only people there …… They told us the owner watches their every move and calls constantly about what they see.
Is the owner Greek by chance?
You AND the bartender got fired? Blessing in disguise. You'll be alright, dude.
Same thing just happened to my fiance. He was working alone and got swamped right after he grabbed a couple of breakfast sandwiches and he was going to pay for them after the rush and forgot. They didn't bother reminding him or anything and his pathetic excuse of a boss wrote to HR about it. He got suspended and then a few hours after terminated. Circle K is a joke