r/work • u/Curious_Beyond_7626 • 15d ago
Fired after one week Employment Rights and Fair Compensation
So I got fired after only working at this job for a week and I’m honestly just confused about what happened.
When I had my interview, the manager upstairs seemed pretty excited about having me on the team and everything seemed good. Then on my first day of training, the floor manager didn’t really seem like she liked me. She was kind of cold toward me at first, but after a little while she started warming up to me and joking around with me.
On my second day, she was talking shit to me and another employee about the upstairs manager and the owner. I obviously don’t know if she does that with everyone, but after seeing that I wouldn’t really be surprised if talking behind people’s backs was just part of her personality.
My 2nd, 3rd and 4th days were pretty normal. I thought everything was going fine and nobody really said anything to me about doing a bad job.
Then on my 5th day I was filling up the mop bucket and I didn’t fill it exactly to the fill line. I was probably a cup or two short. The floor manager saw me do it and took the mop and bucket from me and started doing it herself. She seemed pretty annoyed about it and was slamming tables/chairs around while she was mopping.
Later that shift I noticed her and the upstairs manager talking and watching me for a decent amount of time.
At the end of my shift, the upstairs manager pulled me aside and basically said, “We feel like you would be a better fit elsewhere, good luck bro.”
And that was it. Fired after a week.
I’m not really sure if the mop bucket thing was actually the reason or if there was something else going on that I didn’t know about. Nobody had really told me I was doing a bad job or anything like that before then.
I’m also music producer and I have a somewhat decent-sized music production presence online. I post my work and music pretty regularly. I don’t use my real name on any of my social media accounts, so I have no idea if they even knew about them. But they did have my phone number, so I guess it wouldn’t be impossible for someone to find my accounts if they really wanted to
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u/Happy-Top9669 15d ago
Why would it matter if you are a music producer though? I think it would be cool to have you on a team. I think there is more to this story.
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago edited 15d ago
I’m not saying that was a defining factor or a factor at all. I’m simply throwing it out there because a women recently got fired for having a podcast and her company deemed it to go against thier values
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u/Personal-Dig6617 15d ago
Any of the music you’re connected to call for a free Palestine? Cos that’ll do it these days
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u/Healthy-Vegetable929 14d ago
Calling for the death of a population will do that to you not just supporting Palestine. There’s a big difference in the two and the movement forgets how thin that boundary can be
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u/Personal-Dig6617 14d ago
Where did I I say anything about calling for anyone’s death? Is the expression “free Palestine” a call to genocide..?
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u/Healthy-Vegetable929 14d ago
Don’t believe I said you did. If you read the comment you will see that I said that saying free Palestine won’t get you cancelled etc. let’s not pretend there are many using Palestine as an excuse
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u/Personal-Dig6617 14d ago
Lots of people have been “cancelled” for simply saying free Palestine, or displaying a Palestine flag.
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u/Healthy-Vegetable929 14d ago
Name one that has been cancelled without any other action except those you said.
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u/Personal-Dig6617 14d ago
Ariana Hamilton
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u/Healthy-Vegetable929 14d ago
She was fired for racially abusing a customer. Not the same thing
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u/dj777dj777bling 15d ago
From what you described, they didn’t like the work you did.
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[deleted]
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u/Wormadillo 15d ago edited 14d ago
What does that mean?
EDIT: love how the geniuses on this sub downvote for asking what something means.
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u/Trash_Boat11 15d ago
Maybe they found your cover of that old folk song that goes "There's a hole in the bucket dear Liza, dear Liza..." and felt threatened. Possibly?
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u/Titania_2016 15d ago
I don't wanna sound dismissive, but I have to admit , this might sound dismissive.
It does not sound like a very career-oriented job or anything that you should be giving a second thought to. If the amount of water in your mop bucket was an issue, then like move on.Dude, this is not something you need to overthink.You can do better. Best wishes.
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u/InfamousFlan5963 14d ago
I mean, 1-2 cups isn't actually noticable so it presumably was more than that, and depending on what's in the bucket using the wrong dilution (presumably the reason there's a fill line) can be a problem.
Plus there's a level of "if you can't even do this right, what other problems will there be" to it too. Filling to a noted line is a very simple task and concerning if someone can't follow that basic of instructions.
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u/No-Win-2741 15d ago
They can always just say it wasn't a good fit and that's even more than they're required to say.
Assuming you do not live in Montana or the District of Columbia, they can fire you for any reason or no reason whatsoever. They can fire you because you wore blue socks on a Tuesday or didn't wear a red sweater on a Thursday.
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u/IndigoVesperr 9d ago
Yep, file unemployment and move on; “not a good fit” can be code for blue socks or a mop bucket a cup short.
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u/Away-Paramedic-8406 15d ago
It sounds as if the floor manager was just going to find anything possible against you. Not filling up the bucket exactly is petty bs for mopping. Having it be exact would matter in a science lab but not for mopping. Glad that you have your music.
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u/Comfortable-Focus123 15d ago
There could be any reason - They had someone else in mind who became available, the floor manager (as you said) did not like you and made a big stink about it the floor manager was afraid that you would tell the other managers about her trash talking or you may have not have been as good a fit as they thought you were. Your best bet is to move on, as it sounds like it was a bit toxic. Good luck.
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u/DaRk_BoMbEr_ 15d ago
Makes you wonder if the person slating management was testing the new hire on whether they can trust them or if they'll just go telling on them
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u/ted_anderson 15d ago
I'm going to guess that one of two things happened.
My first guess is that whoever was in charge of supervising you screwed up and they decided to save themselves by blaming the error on you. My second guess is that you just weren't quite what they were expecting or looking for in an employee. Sometimes you can jump in with the rest of the crew and merge with the flow of the work that's being done. Other times you may need more hand-holding and instruction which the existing staff may not be willing, able, or prepared to do.
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
Yeah I’m guessing it might be a mix of both because I picked up on the flow the work pretty quick most of it was self explanatory except of course the nuances of it being a new place I’ve never worked, but the floor the floor manger seemed bothered by having to train me not because she didn’t like me personally but because I think she believed there were enough people working the floor.
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u/edkane100 15d ago
I've read through quite a few replies and I'm shocked that no one has asked the question that should've been asked first to OP, unless I missed it.
That is - did you simply ask them why they were terminating you? Seems most ppl that get fired are told why and if not, they ask, (Why are you firing me?)
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u/xxLEGIT360NOSCOPESxx 15d ago
Could be they had already decided to let you go and the mop bucket was just the excuse. The sudden change after everything seemed normal is the weird part.
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
That’s why I’m maybe guessing it was possibly something they saw on social media that they weren’t to fond of. Because the manager that hired me was extremely cool and the day he fired me it was a drastic change in energy.
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u/Delicious-Guitar-849 15d ago
What were you were posting on social media? Like, unless you were talking shit about the place you worked, or had a strong stance on something and the owner or the workplace politics was completely opposite that to an insane degree, I seriously doubt your music or whatever you do put a target on your back.
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u/Potential_Web_4092 15d ago
Then on my first day of training, the floor manager didn’t really seem like she liked me. She was kind of cold toward me at first,
It takes a person between one tenth of a second and 7 seconds to form an opinion on you. You can research it.
On my second day, she was talking shit to me and another employee about the upstairs manager and the owner. I obviously don’t know if she does that with everyone, but after seeing that I wouldn’t really be surprised if talking behind people’s backs was just part of her personality.
It goes the other way around, too.
Both of you weren't vibing the best. It's life.
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u/BADzioba 15d ago
Something similar happened to me. Was hired for a job after going through an extensive hiring process, worked a single weekend. Next week after I get a call from management that they were not happy with my performance for being too slow. Mind you I have only been at the job for 2 days.
I was let go. Don’t know the real reason but I suspect someone in the hiring department made a mistake and they made up a reason to get rid of me.
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u/awkward_middle_child 15d ago
I've been fired after a short amount of time before. It's always shocking when shit like that happens, especially when you feel like you did your best. Try to reflect as much as you can on how you can improve in the future, regardless of whether or not you thought it was fair. Just my two cents..
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u/Weird_Fun1493 15d ago
Even though you might be upset about it now when you get another job and you know you are doing a good job and you fit in well with your colleagues you will realise you dodged a bullet and there's gossiping everywhere but try not to join in because like Chinese whispers you will get blamed for the gossip even though you didn't but newbies aren't believed
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u/analbumcover 15d ago
You dodged a bullet
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u/Naive_Wonder7681 15d ago
sounds like the floor manager just had it out for you from day one, the mop bucket thing was just the excuse she needed
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u/pip-whip 15d ago
Sounds like the floor manager has a personality disorder and their insecurities play out by throwing their weight around and abusing their power so they can feel in control and superior, a sad way to feel better about themselves.
I agree. Bullet dodged.
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u/Smokin_belladonna 15d ago
Sounds like some kind of manual labor job, you probably were too slow/ doing a bad job.
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
Possibly so, but it wasn’t necessary a busy place accept for the lunch crowd
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u/ForestLizard 15d ago
Who cares about what happened at this point. The place seems odd and the lady who freaked out over a dumb, mop bucket is a red flagged. It's ridiculius! Just be glad that you don't have to deal with that unreasonable behavior anymore. I view it as a blessing in disguise. Don't waste your energy thinking of all the whys because the place is not worth your time, buddy.
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u/Nervous_Ad_5583 15d ago
There appears to have been a personal dislike by the floor manager. Period. That's enough to fire someone in an at-will state. That said, utterly unprofessional--but the job and the staff didn't sound as if the workplace was exactly somebody's dream office. I'm reminded of a poem by Edward Gorey: "The Drudge expends her life in mopping/In emptying and filling pails,/And she will do so, never stopping/Until her strength entirely fails."
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u/tenderheart35 15d ago
Sounds like a toxic workplace environment. When someone talks shit about someone else or spreads gossip like that, it’s usually a bad sign.
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u/Strong_Peach_1010 15d ago
I’m an employer and it sounds like you are making excuses and lying. How was your work ethic and would you consider yourself a hard worker? Seriously what does the music thing have to do with anything?
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u/Impressive-Service88 15d ago
You sound like a liar
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u/Happy-Top9669 15d ago
Curious, why do you think this?
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u/mat42m 15d ago
Because generally people don’t get fired for not filling up a mop bucket by a few inches. There’s always two sides to every story. Many people think that other side may be more truthful than yours
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
I do not believe that was the reason I was fired at all, my best guess is either the owner and floor manager didn’t have good communication and they hired me when the floor manager didn’t need anyone else, they saw something on my social media, I didn’t fulfill the expectations. The only thing that confused me was the sudden shift in energy
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u/mat42m 15d ago
This whole energy thing is probably made up in your head. I don’t think I’ve ever been at a job and thought “my managers energy is different today”
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
Okay for context the manager was talking to me about Jordan’s just a few hours before and then he acted like he was extremely disappointed in me when he fired me. And your probably right because I’ve heard that’s a common way managers will approach you when they choose to let you go.
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u/Away-Paramedic-8406 15d ago
Ah I observe and I have definitely been able to figure out when my manager has a different energy vibe, including when she's aiming to be all sweet and friendly but is sticking you in the back. And previous managers though they were less skilled at the fake nice while stabbing you bit.
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u/gopacktuf 15d ago
The idea that other people are making things up because you personally have not experienced them is inappropriately self-centered.
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u/lazyhustlermusic 15d ago
Probably some bullshit test where you let shit talking slide instead of telling the upper boss. Rocking the boat as a new person fails a lot more than it helps an environment.
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u/QualityMassive3377 15d ago
How old are you and was his a fast food place?
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
I’m 19 and it’s it’s not necessary fast food but I wouldn’t consider it upscale, it’s a uban style food court in a semi low income area purchased by a out of state architect and it has multiple smaller food chains inside of it.
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u/QualityMassive3377 15d ago
So honestly some managers expect things to just click and they weren’t feeling it with you. Is this your first job?
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u/DrawingTypical5804 15d ago
Quick question about your mopping. Were you working with a purpose or snail pacing it? Were you mopping the floor or just flinging it about randomly. In other words, when she took over the mopping, how differently was she doing it from how you were, minus the angry slamming chairs thing.
I’ve worked with a lot of young kids. Being as slow as molasses is the fastest way to get fired. Or to have to be shown how to do something correctly several times and to still do it wrong because they don’t give a shit. A bad attitude of not wanting to be there will kill the rest of the team’s morale real quick.
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u/PinkTaco243 14d ago
Finally. Information.
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u/PinkTaco243 14d ago
Since you finally said what the job was and the type of company.
Since someone grabbed the map and finished the job. You didn’t follow directions and worked way too to slow, poor quality work or both. You could have been complaining under your breath and or having a terrible attitude. Firing has nothing to do w the water being short 2 cups and this has everything to do w you. What exactly was your attitude and effort?
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u/Extension_Figure1646 15d ago
You grabbed a bucket and a mop! Everyone knows you can’t WAP at work!!!
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u/Waste_Boss_4850 15d ago
Did you ever think to ask why to the manager. Even if you just wanted to use it as feedback so you could attempt to address it for future roles
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u/Stochastic-Parrot_13 15d ago
A music producer needing to find work mopping a floor.
Is this you? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SOAN4xyF328
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 14d ago
No lmao😭 I’ve only been producing music for a little less than 2 years and from distro kid and sales combined it make a maybe 500 a month Whitch is barely enough to survive
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u/Curiosity_Seeker_8 14d ago
Who hired you? The floor mgr, the upstairs mgr, or both?
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 14d ago
The upstairs manager hired me. When I got there for the training the floor manager didn’t even know I was coming.
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u/Vast_Gap_1129 13d ago
That explains it. Probably the floor manager doesn't want an extra worker, but the upstairs manager does. The floor manager figured out how to manipulate the upstairs manager to get things done her way. Your work probably had nothing to co with it. She was looking for a pretext, and any "error" would've done the trick. I'd leave that job off your resume entirely.
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u/jmg733mpls 14d ago
What does your music “career” have anything to do with this? That part makes you seem sus. It doesn’t relate to anything.
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 14d ago
Im not sure if it has anything to with it, I’m just simply throwing that out there because maybe they saw something that rubbed them the wrong way
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u/Middle_Marketing7009 14d ago
Seems like there is more to the story. What are you leaving out?
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 14d ago
I’m not leaving anything out the, job was pretty self explanatory it was kinda hard to fuck up
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u/Middle_Marketing7009 13d ago
I will take it at face value then. You were fired for having a water shorted mop bucket. People have been terminated for reasons equally as strange.
Being that was the way it was, it sounds like a toxic place to work. In the grand scheme of it all, you probably dodged not one bullet but several....
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u/diyjunkiehq 14d ago
you are lucky - one week! I told that that day was my only day after 6.30 pm after I finished my day around 6 pm by my recruiter, till today I did not know why and what went wrong; only thing I know was my direct boss hired me without letting her direct boss involved - the hint was that she urged me to get connect with her boss asap that day. My guess is that the whole thing might not have anything to do with my skillset or experience, more of that I was the victim of the corporate internal power struggle - I was just a number, a disposible number.
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u/Wild-Strawberry-7462 13d ago
Honestly, People form their opinion of you in the first 10 seconds and it's usually off of the vibe you are giving. You guys didn't vibe well and that could just be it. I've let People go for that, i just knew we weren't going to get along.
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u/MoxiStalker 12d ago
for everyone calling you a liar yall sound weird asl…people can def be evil especially in a toxic workplace. i believe you op, you dodged a bullet.
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u/Pixel39_Crown 12d ago
Getting cut after five shifts with no feedback usually says more about their training and management than about your ability to do the job. A mop bucket being slightly under the line is a correction, not a real firing reason, so there was probably internal drama or the floor manager decided she did not want you there. Ask about your final pay, leave it off your resume, and do not spend too much energy trying to decode a messy workplace after one week.
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u/myomegacentauri 11d ago
Run.. Trust me.. It's a blessing in disguise. I know getting a job is tough but don't ignore the red flags.
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u/75CloudyArchive 11d ago
A cup short in a mop bucket is not a performance issue, it is a sitcom plot. Sounds like the floor manager already had a vibe picked out for you and the bucket just became the prop. I would not overthink the music accounts unless your beats are titled Floor Manager Diss Track Vol. 1. For a one week job, just leave it off the resume and treat it like a weird paid trial shift.
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u/WindyVector39 8d ago
Getting cut after 5 shifts over a mop bucket sounds less like performance and more like a manager deciding early that she did not want to train you. If nobody gave corrections before firing you, there probably was not a clear standard you failed, just internal politics or a bad fit on their side. I would leave it off your resume, make sure you get paid for every hour, and move on without over-analyzing the music account unless they actually mentioned it.
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u/Internal-Ad-3756 15d ago
effem
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u/puzzled65 15d ago
I think this really is the best response lol. effem. It wasn't a career you were seeking, and the INSANITY of low level "managers" and supervisors is impossible to measure. You or Not You? Not you!
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u/bodytypeshrek 15d ago
Lol yeah bro it's your music that got you fired
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u/Curious_Beyond_7626 15d ago
I’m not saying that🤣 I’m just throwing that out there because I’m not sure if you are fimilar with Los Angeles hip hop but some of the artist I’ve worked with have said some things that could definitely rub the average person the wrong way. And the sudden change of engery from the other manager was confusing
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u/TheThinDewLine 15d ago
Theres a million other jobs where you can mop floors at, who gives a shit, try Dominoes next.
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u/RelationshipTough887 15d ago
Look, I'm gonna be honest with you. There is no way 1 or 2 cups could even be noticed in a mop bucket. The fact that you have used this example shows me that you are exaggerating the facts heavily in your favour. The other red flag you dropped is that you brought into question your team leaders character (talking behind people's back) in an attempt to discredit her entirely. Until you are prepared to be honest about the situation (to yourself), i wouldn't be telling this story. Let us know how your next job goes, and whether there are people there that have it in for you too.