I will preface this by saying the first time I was actually fired from anything is when I got Fired from a corner shop when I was 14 for being Hungover and eating a packet of crisps. The criminal mastermind I was. The main reason I find it funny is because the manager that Fired me for "Stealing" a packet of crisps, was arrested 6 months because he embezzled £30,000 from the company due to a gambling addiction.
So yeah, another quick #FuckThatGuy.
Anyway, as I've said before, my first Bar job was in a Hotel/Restaurant/Nightclub/Pub. I was on the Bar: In a pub. It was not a Bar: It had a Bar.
Big Difference.
I started this job within 1 month of turning 18. I worked 35 hours a week as well as College "5days a week", (that's in quotes because my College attendance wasn't great, that's for another time). Then when all of my friends went off to Uni and/or travelled I stayed behind because I was going to save all of my money and do a season.
We went on a Lads holiday to Zante in the summer I finished college, so after that I was obviously hooked on the idea of doing a season. #LadsLadsLads
Through out this year I never once called in sick. 10 years later and that still stands and I actually came back from that holiday with a fractured wrist that I didn't get checked for 2 weeks after returning. I then had it put in a cast for 4 weeks, 3 weeks in I burnt my other hand on a 100+ year old Hot Water Still. So not only did I bartend Full Time for 6 weeks with a broken wrist. For one of those weeks I couldn't use my other hand... Still didn't take any time off. Still got everything done.
It is stressing me out how long I take to get to an actual point but I do spout a lot about how context is important. So I think I'm OK with it. 👌
Full Time for over 12 months. Never called in sick. Never turned down a shift. The bar was always left spotless, cutlery always polished and bar fully stocked. I got the most tips because I was giving great service. Would Work until 4 on a Saturday night and be in at 9am Sunday. No bother.
I was a pretty solid member of staff. 🌟
14 months in, my friends are coming back from University so I book off my first Saturday in 9months since that holiday. I was 19 and had had maybe two Saturdays off. So we all planned to go to the Races and Day Drink 🌞🍻. It was incredible, I was having the best day with people I probably hadn't seen in months. Then the rota comes out; while I'm out. I'm on the AM shift the following day. 11am Start. So I find this out about 3 in the afternoon, been drinking since 11am, and same as every night at that age. I think this one is going to be the best night of my life so I message the member of staff on the 11pm finish that day and the 5pm start the day after. Asked if she was keen to swap as I've covered for her a million times. She was happy to do it. 12 hours between shifts. Neither of us were working Monday so it had no knock on effect. Everyone is a winner 🏆👏
Then the GM calls, tells me No. Won't give me a reason why won't ask budge on it. The one thing I ask after I had done every single thing that he had asked me of and he couldn't do me this one favour for no good reason. It was clearly just a power move, which I have 0 time for. So I explain that I'm not going to be in at 11am, I will be in at 5 so accept the swap or you'll be a member of staff down and then I carried on having an incredible day.
Fast forward to the following day, hungover as balls, I get the phone call to say I'm suspended, pending investigation. 3 days later I have a meeting, unauthorised absence. I've been dismissed. So I'm sad because I loved this job but also, I knew I was in the right. Which is something I've always tried to stand by.
Now following up with this I instinctively want to say "Luckily" but that's a phrase I'm really starting to hate because after you get through so much, sooner or later, you have to give yourself credit that it was YOU that made it through and came out somewhere better off. My current situation has taught me that.
A friend of mines father had just bought his son a Bar in my hometown. This is where dreams were really made. So he approached me asking me to work the Saturday because they had a big event on. Obviously I said yes. Walking distance from home. I knew EVERYONE. Better money. Super chilled. Dreamy. So I covered one shift. Obviously nailed it and then on the Monday he asked to meet me for a beer. Told me he wanted to hire me full-time, in a "supervisory role".
It was literally perfect. One week later I get a call from my previous boss. So out of courtesy I go into meet with them and they go with the whole "we've had some more time to think about and we've fought really hard and now we're in a position where we can hire you back".
So 1. Fuck Off anyway
2. I was told that because I was dismissed I forfeited both my accrued holiday pay and my communal tips that we all contributed to and that this can not be reinstated upon my return which I knew then was all lies. I know that even more so now. The point is that if you're that conceited to do that to somebody, and then still expect them to work with you.
I'd forgotten that was the first time I was screwed out of Holiday Pay.
All in all in it was good experience to have. It was good for me to know that "Shit Happens", and them calling me back in reinforced my confidence in myself as well as my hatred for power moves. That 2nd bar job had such a huge effect on my life and really kicked off my leadership and logistical thinking in that kind of environment. In terms of the 1st job, they lost out. Twice. For absolutely no reason. They tried to take the power without earning it and it got them nowhere. I understand that no-one is irreplaceable and that the business will carry on regardless but if you believe your staff are that interchangeable, you clearly don't get enough out of them to see the benefits of their individualities.
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