The first manager I approach about this dilemma (because I can not do the prep part of my job) tells me to ask a kitchen member to help me. I go through what all I may need for not only today but also tomorrow cause I sure as shit don't want to deal with the dam freezer or be a bother to the guy who also had his own job to do. I also go to the bartender and get a list of items he will need (again so we don't have to take up too much of the kitchen guys time). I take our list to the kitchen guy and ask him if at some point during the day he could do me and the bartender a huge favor and grab the items on the list. To which he replies, "nope I'm busy." I ask if he will be busy the whole day or if there will be any time in which he gets in the freezer again and he tells me he will be busy and no longer needs in the freezer. I ask if I need to give this list to the manager who sent me to him or who else should i give it to and he says to give it to one of our front line people. So I go and explain everything to the person he told me to give the list to and she takes the list and agrees to help. Then I go and explain everything to the manager and tell her that the prep I need to do probably won't get done until we run out of these items.
Fast forward to the end of my shift when the Kitchen manager is there (note that he has already been a jerk to my relief person because she asked him what she needed to do with all the stuff that we prepped because there was no room anywhere for it). I'm chit-chatting and proceed to tell him about what happened that morning:
Kitchen Manager: Well why didn't you get into the freezer.
Me: Because I refuse to climb boxes to get to product, it's not safe
KM: So you expect some one else to do it
Me: No, I expect to be able to safely walk into the freezer and get to what I need to in order to do my job
KM: Well when ever you want to take the truck order over let me know
Me: *rolling my eyes* Sure thing boss, good chat
KM: OK then
This particular
*Unfortunately I wasn't able to snap a picture but hopefully I can tomorrow to show you what a joke my restaurant seems to be.
I think you handled the situation admirably well. I would have raised my voice and gotten in trouble for it. You have every right to expect your workplace to be safe; yours wasn't.
ReplyDeletePerhaps if somebody pointed out the cost of Worker's Compensation payments to the owner/manager, the unsafe situation would be fixed. While WC is no-fault, hospital stays are expensive and your employer would be liable. Not sure, but throw a gross violation of workplace safety into the mix, and you may be outside the realm of WC.
Idiots.