Fast Food Frustration…

By Bethany “BST2” Armstrong

You’ve probably already been impacted by the labor shortage of workers termed both “essential employees” and “unskilled labor” while making around ten bucks an hour during a global pandemic. They were the heroes for feeding us when restaurants and grocery stores were too dangerous to venture to and the villains for being “unwilling to work” due to unemployment and stimulus packages. The reality is the pandemic – with its anti-maskers, extra-impatient costumers, understaffing, and a major increase to workload – put heat to what was bubbling underneath the friers, a vicious cycle of poverty rampant in the fast-food industry.

It starts before the interview. The glossy “We’re Hiring” sign features words like “career” and “competitive wages” and a picture of a smiling young person handing a bag of burgers to a grinning elderly customer gives you hope. Maybe this is your first job, maybe your career ended abruptly, maybe you just discovered your college diploma isn’t what was promised… whatever the case; hope is about to be dashed.

The typical workweek hours are low for a “career”, about 25 to 30 hours a week. The scheduling is a nightmare, sometimes you close one night just to open the very next morning. The hours are erratically arranged, so finding another part-time “career” is out of the question. The “competitive wages” are a bit over minimum wage and you’ll probably be told that some, or all, of your uniform will be taken out of your checks. All this while maintaining the costs of employment while you wait up to 2-3 weeks for your first meager paycheck.

The costs of employment are insidious. You will need gas for your car or money for public transportation. You will need to maintain your uniforms – if you’re lucky enough to have more than one – which means frequent trips to the laundry mat, because, odds are, you’re not able to afford to rent a place with a washer and dryer. You will need phone service, so you can be called in to work when they are understaffed. All these things cost money, money that you won’t see for a couple of weeks.

Then that first check hits, a big chunk taken out for the uniform, and you wonder how you’re going to stretch to next week. You’ll wonder that often, even after your debts have been paid.. You work your way up to Team Leader; a 10 cent pay hike with heaps of extra responsibilities. The poster lied. There’s nothing to smile about.

Then Covid hits and you realize that you are anything but unskilled. You excel at multi-tasking, pouring drinks while taking orders. You’re able to meet rudeness with neutrality. You’re able to work effectively in a team. You can take, and make, complicated orders. You’ve dealt with abusive bosses and strange customers. You have so many valuable skills. You are essential and I’m glad you’re not going to take our order anymore.

[si-contact-form form=’2′]