(Obviously) don't trust fast food!!

Hello everyone, first off I'd like to start off by saying that I myself work in fast food... which I'm currently trying to escape (get a new job or I'll be homeless).
I feel though that i should at least get this out to you all.
Fast food is a very corrupt business. Most of the health safety rules and such are not followed, and the employees are treated very poorly.
Here are just a few examples...

All food prepared that is waiting to be bought (also known as "staged") is supposed to be on a timer, ranging from 2 minutes to half an hour. Sometimes during "rushes", fast food resturants will "stage" commonly ordered food so it is ready. This food should immedietely be timed somehow, and be thrown away once its "hold time" is over.
Often times this isn't the case. Either because of laziness, or more often because the owner or manager is a cheap ass, food may be held for as long as 3 hours... depending on who notices.

In all of our training videos, as well as posters posted around the break room, hand washing sink, and office, it is directly emphasized that if you are sick, DO NOT COME INTO WORK. Even if you think you MIGHT be coming down with something, DO NOT GO TO WORK. This is hugely emphasized by all of our training. We work around food so its inevitable that germs may spread. However, when it comes to the managements actual response, you are usually forced to come into work, regardless of how sick you are. I've seen people pretty much forced to work even with the flu while they're coughing, sneezing, and/or vomiting. Often times people who make a habit of calling in sick (AKA, people who don't come into work while sick), are often treated poorly, disrespected by management, and sometimes fired... for following the rules. I'm just coming down from the flu myself, and when i called my manager to tell him i was sick and extrmely contagious, instead of being concerned for me as a person, he said, "Great. You killed us yesterday, who the hell am I supposed to get to cover your shift?" Very nice.

Upper Management is often cracking down on shift leaders for being "too lenient" or "too nice". I can't tell you how many times I've seen shift leaders and lower level managers leave the office crying after being "spoken to" or "corrected". Often times they will resort to verbal abuse.


Now I'm sure you're all about to scream; "quit!" or "speak out!". First off, I'm trying to find a new job. if I were to quit now, i would be homeless, which wouldn't be very productive, would it? Secondly, people who speak out tend to be fired... which I cannot afford.
I'm am merely trying to help out however I can, and that means making you all aware of whats going on. Often times, such as in my situation, individuals who attempt to better things are often shunned and/or fired.

 

Yeah, the food from 'fast food' joints usually isn't good for you. If you only go once a week or so, and eat healthy the rest of the time, you'll probably be fine, but anyone who reguarly drinks soda and eats fast food ought to watch the movie 'Supersize Me' before they think about getting that large french fry.

 

Because I'm broke and its the only food around, I usually, almost always eat lunch at my work.... so far no noticable health effects. Haven't gained any weight, only thats because I'm always up and active even at work!

 

I've been there, too Bloody. Seriously. I've worked for McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's and now I work for Chipotle(the gourmet burrito joint)...

Which is the best food-service type of job that I have ever had. They really mean the whole, "Food with Integrity" slogan. I make 7.50/hr and I've only been there 3 months and I just got a 15 cent raise. I also just learned that they are looking forward to training me to be a Kitchen Manager. As a KM I'll be making $10.50/hr.
I already get really good benefits, too.

I didn't type all of that just to brag. I just wanted to let you know that, because it's a really great place to work and if you're looking for a new job and there happens to be a Chipotle in your area, I would turn in my app ASAP, if I were you.

 

that doesn't just happen in fast food places, it happens in 'fine' resturants too. I was a resturant cook, fast food cook and owned my own resturant and nail is right.. I have walked into some walk in coolers and got knocked over by the smell of rotting blood.. I have seen horror in the make tables and coolers way to low to keep the food fresh.. I have seen roaches and rats in walk in coolers and seen freezer burnt meat served.. I have watched a waitress eat right off the plate she was serving to a customer, one place the owner dug through the trash to retrive any tomatoes that were scraped into the trash and put them on another burger..I have seen cooks pick theur nose and then put their hands in the food., I seen sweat fall into ppls plates and sneeses too, not to metion the blood that drips into food when someone cuts themselves and where DID that bandaid go?!? One waitress I knew, never took a bath and wore dirty clothes to work, she wore sloppy clothes that showed her filthy brastraps..

Here in East Texas, the local TV station goes around to the resturants and inspects them and reports them on the NEWS.. that's a good idea.. I always ask to see the kitchen when I go to a new place to eat.. if the don't let me, I leave and tell them I will report this on my webpage..lol.. they freek out, thinking I'm some critic or secret shopper.. it may inspire them to clean up their act.

To be fair, there are some very nice places to eat.. mostly mom n pop operations.. large chains seem to be the worse.



I have known of ppl working in food service with Hepititus, AIDS, and other contagious diseases. I knew one cook with head lice and another with crabs in his beard.

 

I'm applying now at "Whataburger", a smaller business... personally I don't like their burgers much, but maybe they'll be better as far as their food safety practices.

 

Its better to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day than to go to fast food restaurants on even a semi regular basis.To the writer of this thread,you seem like a intelligent lady,I hope you get a better job.You and people like you are too good to work at such hideous places.I mean that in a complimentary way.

 

^ thank you so much, I actually get told that a lot from customers. The only reason I'm working there right now and not some place better is because i don't have a car and its the only job I can get that is within walking distance.

 

Oh man, I feel bad for you. Good luck. You really are much too good for that. I'm sure you'll find something, though. Just hope you can find a car and everything.

 

Your situation sucks badly. I feel for you, but can't really say I've ever been in the same situation.
What are you planning on doing for the future?
And for fast food, I refuse to eat at restaurants like that, and don't particularly like eating at restaurants at all. I always have images of people spitting in my food, dropping it on the floor, and some of the stuff mentioned in the original post. It makes me sick and I usually can't finish whatever it was I ordered.

 

There's another movie on the subject that I find very interesting, it's called fast Food Nation, you should all check it out. It looks at the fast food problem from many different perspectives. After watching it, you'll probably never want to put you feet in a fast food chain ever again.

 

i now completely take all of this back. screw that place. i want to burn it down.don't ever apply there...

 

LOL...can you give us the reason for your change of heart?

 

"i was a crew trainer at chipotle mexican grill. the "gourmet" burrito shop.

this isnt just for you, waking life, but just to explain why i would leave a job in this economic state we're in:


the reason why i left is because of safety concerns.and the fact that they all but refused to promote me even though i was one of the hardest workers and had been to and completed(at the top of my class) culinary school. Oh yeah and throughout my time there i'd had just under 50 bucks stolen from me(which the company refused to investigate), was sexually harrassed and battered ON SHIFT(the asshole left bruises on my wrists and was fired for and i quote "horseplay" and i was given a written and verbal warning for it WTF)and as if all of the above wasn't quite bad enough, the last straw was when i was verbally attacked by another employee from the beginning of my shift until the end, the employee even threatened to hit me while screaming 2 inches away from my face, but because it wasn't on camera, my managers refused to send him home or write him up for anything.

ALL of these incidents happened off camera and everytime I reported them, my managers "promised" to do something about the camera angles. I was sick of having to feel paranoid at work. So I calmly exchanged choice words with my managers after the last incident, explaining that i'd much rather work for a company that cared a little more about the safety of it's employees and I quit and walked out on a line of customers at least 50 ppl long. it felt incredible.

the place sucks. gourmet? my classically trained ass. i am boycotting that fucking dump."



i posted this in the thread i started about how good it felt to not have a job to go to... the above should explain things quite thoroughly.

 

Good reasons

The next time someone physically hurts you please call the police...not the manager

 

^^^ i thought my manager was going to call the police, apparently i thought wrong.
oh well. whats done is done. and i know where that asshole lives(the guy that put the bruises on me.) i'll eventually get even.



p.s. where do you live in canada? just curious.

 

Sorry..its a secret...I am in a witless protection program

 

i worked at mcdonalds for two weeks before anyone showed me where the sink was to wash my hands. the coffeeshop i work at now (which will remain anonymous!) is about a week away from being "fresh". besides food, the decaf coffee sits all day because it sells slow. i wish the local independent coffeeshop would hire me...

 

This is not just fast food, This regimen is something that is taken up and compiled into all major business's nowadays.

It's here's your set of rules, All the books say this, all the videos and training say this .. yet when all that is over with its all considered BS and you will start getting written up and the like for following it. But when it comes down to the company being held lawfully to it, its the gold set of rules that we all follow ~

When In collage took up part time jobs. One of which was a Pet store. Needless to say there was training and the like telling you how each thing should be done, how many people should be there for running the place and the list went on. This was great while training. But when the store got into full swing operation the district manager started squeezeing out time from the place which in effect made the daily routine of actually takeing care of the pets unable to be done...

Where my department alone should of had, 3-4 people trained cycleing shifts a given week. Only had Me. Not only that there was only Me to take care of the next department next to me ~ I still had two days off however if anything happened I would have to go in to fix it.

Dead fish ranked up into the 300's Per week due to they didn't like me going by the tank limits. I had it down to 2 dead fish every so many days, however there was less fish in the tanks mean more healthier. So they ripped that from me and ordered a triple amount to fill the tanks and watched more then half die within 2 days ~ ... Reptiles where not as bad, but neglect was high. Had people loseing them and inadvertantly crushing them with thier own bowls. That and certain ones where just able to be kept in real conditions so they passed on due to the lack of things :/ Even though i tried. Meanwhile you have customers buying these guys and apallad that you actually need to buy things to keep them in right temp controls and right feeding sources.

Needless to say, everyone eventually quit due to it could not be done with corporate restricting hours and demanding high returns. The money Value was the most important thing. Plus was getting to attached, Saved the one last lizard and have given her a good stable envirment home.

 

The movie was pretty bad but the book was amazing. Also, to the OP, you're in the perfect position; make it the most inefficient business possible.