Here's my story, maybe dumb, but true:
I am a retired professional. When I retired, at a very early age, I didn't work for three years. I never intended (or planned to have enough resources) to stay retired for the rest of my life. I just was extremely disappointed in my career choice. I didn't work for three years. Then I was bored and getting close to broke.
Since that time, I have worked in a lot of different, challenging, interesting jobs. I do something until I get bored, then I find something else. Life's an adventure. Since I decided to go back to work in 1999, I have never been out of work for more than a month at a time. I am willing to do anything; I have absolutely no ego that counterbalances a real old-fashioned work ethic. I will give an honest hour's work for an honest wage, and am not afraid to get dirty or sore. I have worked as a carnival ride operator and an apple picker. I've worked as a construction laborer and a bowling alley attendant. I meet fascinating people and have a ball.
Until this evening, I was most recently working as a restaurant server in a fun environment. It is in a "right-to-work" for less state, with no union representation. It is also a state that allows employers to pay less than minimum wage for tipped employees. I was making $4.86 per hour, plus tips. I am almost 30 years older than the next oldest employee, but I enjoy working with "the kids." And, frankly, I run circles around them.
When it comes to restaurants, I am more than a bit of a clean freak. As a server, I have never had a problem using slow time to wipe counters, clean the prep area, etc. In fact, I keep the area clean even when the restaurant is swamped. I'm the one who, even if I'm racing to run a credit card for one table, while needing to pour drinks for another and carry out food for a third, will stop to pick up a napkin that fell on the floor.
Tonight, after the restaurant was closed, the manager informed me that I would have to mop the floor. The following conversation occurred:
That is going to be a problem, because I am not willing to mop the floor for $4.86 an hour.
You make tips.
Nobody is tipping me to mop the floor.
You have to mop the floor.
I'm not going to mop the floor for $4.86 an hour.
You make more than that with tips.
How much are you paying me?
$4.86 an hour, but you make tips.
If you want the floor mopped, you should hire a janitor and pay him the going rate for janitors.
Look, I have the legal right to make you scrub the toilets if I want to.
You're not big enough to make me do anything.
I have the legal right to make you.
You can tell me to do it, and I'll tell you I won't do it for $4.86 an hour, just like I won't mop the floor for $4.86 an hour.
You have to do it, or I have to let you go.
I'm sorry you're letting me go. You realize it's nothing personal. I like and respect you and I enjoy the job. I just think you should stop and consider whether it's moral and right for you to ask me to do janitorial work for $4.86 an hour, when other businesses have to pay minimum wage.
The irony is that I accidentally overheard one of the other servers complaining to the manager earlier in the evening that I was the only one of the "team" that is willing to help out the others, and even earlier than that, the manager and I were discussing how hard it is for him to get servers other than me to cover the slower shifts where tips are not as abundant.
So the upshot is, I have to look for another adventure, but the manager loses an employee that he knows was dependable and at least one co-worker recognizes as willing to pitch in and help out.
What do you think? Was it stupid to lose a job over something so insignificant? Be brutally honest; I can take it.