Going back to an old job is always awkward, especially when you were fired from that job and especially when you go back to beg for free things—and especially when you go back to try and steal from your ex-coworkers' tip jar. Like, this guy actually managed to get himself demoted from line cook to customer and then managed to get himself demoted further from being a customer too. Lou really sucks, and is a In the end, it's incredibly fitting since you can't spell “lousy coworker” without “Lou.”

This worker came with receipts. Usually, these types of things are a “he said, she said” type of scenario, where both sides state their perspectives, and the truth lies somewhere in between.

It's often said that you should never break two rules at the same time, lest you run the risk of being caught for the more serious rule after calling attention to yourself through the less serious. You can probably find that phrased uttered in a similar fashion throughout the ages of this site. When we mention this, we're usually talking about driving with a broken headlight on your way to rob a casino with your ten closest friends. You could be pulled over on the way and have the entire heist…

Starting a new job is always tough. Sure, you might have tons of knowledge and industry experience, but there's always a different way of doing the same old thing at every new organization you walk into. You might think that a square peg would always just fit into the square hole, but your new job may require you to revolve the square 360 degrees clockwise, counterclockwise, and then on a vertical axis—all before putting it in the same square hole you always did before. Sure, it may be stupid,…

If you work in retail, customer service, or the service industry, sooner or later, you're going to run into a confoundingly indignant and angry individual who is going to ruin your day—leaving you thinking about this interaction for years to come. It's just a matter of sheer statistics; talk to enough people in a day, and sooner or later, at some point, you're going to have a grown adult having a full tantrum in the center of your store like it's some kind of performative art piece. This Karen…

One of the worst parts about working in the service industry or retail is “blackout” dates—where no one is able to take days off—these always line up with precisely the days you'd want to take off. Holidays, long weekends, and anytime between Christmas and New Years—pretty much any time you might want to see family or friends (who are all off work.) These have all been deemed as days where all hands are needed on deck due to high volumes of trade. But the worst part about blackout dates?.. Hypo…

Everyone knows that person who treats their tolerance for spice like it's a personality trait. I used to work with a friend who was practically immune to spice and would always throw out taunting requests like this to wait-staff, insinuating that there was no way their chef could placate his lust for the fieriest of infernos. We had a Thai place near the office that we would frequent for lunch, the pair of us would always order the same dish (pad thai), and my friend would submit his usual requ…

It really is a shame that our society has turned into one where helping others is associated with being in a lower class. The number of stories where someone is rudely addressed by another customer and assumed to be a worker just because they went out of their way to help or be pleasant to someone is astounding. In each of these scenarios, even the most basic acknowledgment that the person working is a human being immediately marks them as a recipient of rude demands. This story, shared by Redd…

It's always best to take advice from and listen to the person who knows best… and just because you're in charge doesn't automatically mean that that's you. Even the most base level of worker will know more than you about niche details and processes regarding their role. That's the reason why, when entering a new leadership position, it's always best to observe and learn before acting and making changes. There will reach a point where you need to step in and make some changes, some of which may…

This manager took issue because one of their workers was taking discarded bread loaves from back-of-house disposal. Anyone who has worked in food service or the service industry has witnessed this at some point: perfectly good food going to the bin just because they can't move the product and donating the food to a shelter would present a “lawsuit risk.” So away it goes, right into the dumpster. It's always a shame to see all perfectly good food go to waste—even if you have plenty to eat at hom…

At what point are health and safety more important than opening in the middle of a blizzard?

Sometimes, you just aren't good at something, and that's okay; not everyone is going to excel at everything they try, and that's just the way it is. We're all individuals with different skills who might find certain things more or less challenging. Still, it's important that we keep our egos in check and not lash out at others for our own shortcomings—for displaying grace in the midst of one's failings will determine how others will perceive your character. Some people don't seem to get this an…

Far too many new managers think they can walk into a new organization and start implementing and imposing changes.

Being appointed as a leader generally means that you should be doing at least a little bit of leading: sitting on your cell phone while your teenaged workers suffer the onslaught of a rush is not that. It's a sure sign that someone shouldn't have been appointed to the leadership position they are in and is instead a living, breathing example of the “Peter principle.” Other times the issue is worse still, and the person's appointment to their leadership role isn't due to any previous performance…

The service industry offers its workers a myriad of shitty experiences: Terrible customers, terrible employers, terrible coworkers, and an (often) unpredictable income that relies upon strangers' ethics and understanding of their social obligations.

Your first job in the service industry (or retail, I'd argue) is a formative experience. For most of us, it comes at that time in our life when earning some cash is a necessity: Maybe you've just graduated high school or college and need a job; maybe you're still in high school; maybe the career you thought you were going to have as an Olympic level athlete didn't quite work out, and now you have no idea what you're doing with your life. Ignoring the fact that the last example is oddly specific…