I may soon be chief cook AND bottle washer About This Page:

[CinderAbby]

Many of you know I'm the manager in an elementary school kitchen - and you also know it hasn't been smooth sailing since I started. Yes, there were periods where things went well but I can tell you things are heading somewhere now. Uphill or downhill, I think it's a matter of where you're standing.

Things really hit the fan before vacation started. The part timer that I work with came in and was yelling at me the day before vacation because she was having a bad day and didn't want to work - but showed up because she wanted to get paid for that day, Christmas day and New Years Day. On top of that, I received the silent treatment from the full timer for 2 days because I made a joke that she didn't take as a joke - which of course I heard about on that last day. So needless to say, that last day involved a lot of yelling - mostly from the other two - and I was very happy to walk out at the end of the day.

Fast forward to last Thursday, we had school and the full timer walked into school in a mood. Apparantely, it was completely MY fault that we had school that day even though it was snowing. She had a whole 2 inches of snow in her yard that morning and I guess she took her life in her hands to even get to work. The part timer eventually came in but the two of them were on the same bandwagon - "we shouldn't be here, it's snowing. The roads are so dangerous we don't even want to be here now" blah, blah, blah. I was glad to get out of school on Thursday too - and for those wondering, Not only do I go in earlier than the other two, I also had to stay later and then I had to take our deposit to the bank which was on the other side of town so if anyone should have been complaining, it was me but the weather wasn't that bad where we live. I don't think there was even 2 inches of snow anywhere on the ground and while the streets weren't completely plowed to blacktop, the main roads were really good to drive on so I don't know what the problem was. Especially when you consider when the roads are bad, Abby gets home from school late and she was on time on Thursday.

So as I said, not smooth sailing - and these are just a couple of examples. I could tell you more but I won't. I'll continue on to where the title of this thread comes in.

There are only 3 of us working in the kitchen on a daily basis (once upon a time, it was four but someone went to another school and was never replaced). We've managed with three and in the past, whenever someone was out, we had substitute workers to come in and help out. This year, we're down to only 1 substitute for 5 kitchens and even at that, she's barely working now. She's been a sub for 3 years and in all that time she's never gotten a raise so she's threatening to walk unless she gets more. I can't blame her if she leaves - that is so wrong that she hasn't been given more. Anyway, this Friday is the last day for my part time employee. She needs hip surgery and she scheduled it for next week. Okay, fine, whatever. She barely does any work so I won't be missing her. Originally I was promised the sub (and I took the promise with a grain of salt anyway) but as I said with her situation, I was told today there's no guarantee of having her at anytime. I was SO shocked to hear that (did the sarcasm come through?). We've done a day here and a day there with no sub so it's nothing new really - the only thing new will having only two every day. I'm still going to go in and do my job of feeding the kids and not worry about how many are in the kitchen though. It is what it is and the kids still need to be fed so I'm not going to lose sleep over the lack of a third person but the full timer is up in arms about no sub. That's because no sub means she's going to have to do more work.

Now here I have to quickly explain something. The old manager in this kitchen was really, really anal. She did pretty much everything so the other two employees had very little to do when they got in. Me? I do very little for them as I expect them to do their own work (I have enough of my own to do). At times, I can tell they resent that they actually have to come to work and work .

So anyway when I was talking to my Food Services Director this morning about what's been going on and how "done" I am with their attitudes/work ethics, etc he responded by saying "one is gone next week and another one is leaving in March." I looked at him and asked who was leaving in March. It turns out it's the full timer I work with. On one hand, he was surprised she hadn't told me but on the other, since he knows she hasn't been speaking to me much lately he wasn't. I guess she suddenly decided not to hold off on her own surgery any longer. A surgery, I might add, that she told me she didn't want because it's to her shoulder. She told me months ago that she'd rather the painful mobility she has now than the next to no mobility she'll have afterward (I don't know what's wrong or what kind of surgery she'll have. I only know that she told me that she's not going to have much mobility if she decided to have it).

So if nothing changes, sometime in March, my kitchen will consist of me, myself and I to do the work of 3 people. And there's no way to juggle people from another building - which we have 5 of. One only has two people to begin with (and only one grade to serve). The next one has three like mine but one of those employees is going out in April for a hip surgery leaving them down to two. I'll be down to just me. The middle school had 5 people but now they're down to 3 - one was told not to come back (they got rid of her job) and another one might not be able to come back as she fractured her spine (doing something she shouldn't have been doing). That leaves the high school with their impressive staff of 6 but if they're minus a person, they go into panic mode so the high school gets anything and everything they want, including the Food Services Director as the sub when they're down people.

Oh well, as long as the kids get fed, then I guess all is well with the kitchens .

They say you have to watch what you wish for and I'm sure somewhere along the lines I wished to have the two employees gone and look where it's getting me. Could be uphill if I end up with better employees out of it, downhill if it stays me, myself and I or if the full timer decided to stay but still gives me a bunch of attitude because of the lack of subs. Which is obviously all my fault just like it was my decision to have school last Thursday .

For those who stayed and read my rant, thanks. I know it doesn't change anything but it does let those of you who might be wondering how it's going, how it's going this year. And boy is it interesting. I never know what's going to happen

[purplegal]

Wow that sure is a lot of work for one person, its interesting as we always here about the unemployment and how people need work, you would think they could fill those positions.

I am the Manager of Food Service on the Retail side at the large hospital in Winnipeg, very rarely are we fully staffed, but I never am the only one, I have about 45 staff per day.

Wishing you luck, and I hope it works out that you get new great employees.

[B.M.]

[mcneal]

I was thinking about you the other day and wondering how your job was going. Sorry to hear that things are not better. I will be hoping for you to get new helpers that appreciate having a job and work well with you.

[toddjodybrent]

Oh, Darlene, of course I read the whole thing. While I love reading the stories, I don't love all of the people in them.
Hang in there! You're doing the right thing for the kids!

[poohmaine]

My mom was the cafeteria manager for Walpole High School. It is a hard, thankless job . . .

[Cam22]

Sorry that work is getting so rough!

[Cinderella072004]

Good luck you never know what the future will bring! Maybe something better will come out of all this!
: pixie:

[Luvsun]

Yikes, Darlene! That seems crazy! How can you do all of the work????
I do hope something positive comes out of this!

[rella]

just what you need.......more stress......good luck

[sheldoal]

That is awful. Don't try to be Wonder Woman, though, or they will try to keep you just one. Those of us who work in schools know they use you up with no guilt. Hope things work out.

[dutchdisneyfamily]

I hope things work out for the better! I was just wondering how you were doing the other day.

[GATechGal]

Jeepers Darlene. What are they going to do if you get sick? Or what if Abby gets sick? You need at least 1 other person.

[HiddenMickey]

I can't understand what management is thinking? I'm sure they budgeted for the three if you, they should be able to replace both if them.

[manticorjenn]

Sorry to hear it is so rough this year. I hope they find you good help and that they stay with you. You definitely need some goodluck and pixies!!!!!!!!!!!