A former line cook’s experience at a popular chain restaurant has triggered strong reactions on Reddit, with thousands of users weighing in on a manager’s demand that he report to work 20 minutes early every day without being paid.
The cook, who said the incident occurred nearly eight years ago while he was balancing college and work, described always adhering strictly to his shift schedule — clocking in on time, completing his full hours, and rarely taking a break.
Demands for “free” labour questioned
According to the post, the situation escalated when his manager called him into the office and instructed him to start arriving 20 minutes before his scheduled shift to set up, prep ingredients, and only clock in once the shift officially began. When confronted, the employee recalls saying, “Let me get this straight. You want me to donate about two hours of my time to this company every week, for free, on top of the $11 an hour you pay me? No. I don’t work for free.”
The post claims that pushing back against the directive instantly changed things — his hours were reduced shortly after and he was assigned to the most demanding station during the busiest time. The cook says he was told the fryer placement was because they “needed someone strong there,” a justification he felt was retaliatory.
Alleged retaliation and quitting the job
Following a week of difficult shifts, the employee says he stopped going to work and quickly found a better position elsewhere. He now questions whether another approach might have helped the situation, even though he acknowledges leaving was ultimately the right choice.
The cook reiterated the ethical problems behind the demand, stating, “It is unethical or illegal for the manager to do that.” He added that he has formally resigned and begun searching for remote roles such as data entry.
The poster said he has revised his resume and entered the interviewing phase, even using an online tool to practice responses. He thanked commenters for motivating him to step away from what he described as a toxic work environment, saying the advice strengthened his decision to move on.
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