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    Manager's unreasonable response startles convenience store employee after they close the store when facing 16-hour shifts alone after coworkers' no-show and manager fails to respond: 'Why is it always my fault for not wanting to work 16 hours'

    Synopsis:

    A convenience store worker says their manager forces them to stay overnight for up to 16 hours when the third-shift employee fails to show up, threatening termination if they close the store and leave.

    A lot of low-wage jobs rely on managers who push responsibility onto their staff. Retail chains, restaurants, gas stations, and convenience chains often run with minimal staffing, leaving little room for mistakes or absences. When somebody fails to show up, management frequently turns to the same dependable employees to hold everything together. The workers earning the least are often expected to absorb the biggest disruptions and take on the most stressful days, rushes, and periods of trade.

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    • 01

      Manager makes me work 14 hours if 3rd shift doesn’t show up, rather than letting me close and go home. Could use some advice

      I work at a convenience store, there's only 6 employees My manager works 4am-1pm, so she's asleep by around 6pm Anyway, I work 2pm-10pm. Sometimes the lady who works overnight doesn't show up
      via Thellie11
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    • 02
      A convenience store lit ambiently at night
      via Mathias Reding

      Image is representative, not actual subjects.

    • Employees who reliably show up quickly become the “safe” choice. Managers know who answers the phone, who agrees to stay late, and who will tolerate extra pressure without immediately quitting. Like with anything in life, over time, that reliability stops being appreciated and starts becoming an expectation. The dependable worker becomes the emergency plan for every scheduling problem and every strain on the business. With the added stress and responsibilities, becoming a major source of burnout for that hard-working employee.

      The staff member who disappears creates the problem, but the dependable worker who has turned up time and time again becomes the one facing backlash. And it, again, comes to this expectation. In the manager or owner's mind, the undependable and flaky staff are just that; that behavior is expected of them. But the staff shouldering the burden have become expected to do so, and when they fail to meet that expectation, they are met with backlash, disappointment, and even reprimand.

      The employee standing there, the one who has shown up where their coworkers have not, has to decide whether to sacrifice their time, their health, and their boundaries. If they leave, they risk being accused of abandoning the job. If they stay, the expectation that they cover for others' mistakes gets further reinforced. It really is right between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to turn. 

      People working these jobs are often already under financial stress. They may depend on every paycheck, making it difficult to push back even when expectations become extreme.

      And, well, we see stories like these resonate online because they expose a larger issue many of us who are employed recognize immediately: Businesses frequently celebrate reliability while quietly relying on those same employees to make sacrifices for them.

    • 03
      Therefore, I'm expected to stay until the manager gets there in the morning. However, I've closed up once or twice recently and she gets furious. Usually sends me a nasty text about how that's "job abandonment" and how "I'll get fired if I do it again."
      via Thellie11
    • 04
      The real question is, why is it always my fault for not wanting to work 16 hours, but never my coworkers fault for not showing up. My manager always says call me or the assistant manager if she doesn't show, one of us will relieve you. But then when I do that, they're both asleep
      via Thellie11
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    • 05
      It's just annoying how my manager would rather us work 16 hours than close the store. I don't understand. Maybe it's to avoid corporate yelling at her, who knows
      via Thellie11
    • 06
      Cheezburger Image 10629582080
      via Kovina Đurić

      Image is representative, not actual subjects.

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    • 07
      NoContribution9322 Once you call them and they don't answer leave.... If they tell you anything be like you didn't show up not my problem
      via Thellie11
    • 08
      Spirited Taste4756 If they aren't firing the person that's actually abandoning their job they ain't about to fire you.
      via Thellie11
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    • 09
      the_quiet_familiar I would tell the management team you need a plan of action for what they'd like you to do going forward when your coworker doesn't show, you can't work the double, and they don't respond to your calls for coverage. This should be done in email or text, so you have their response in writing.
      via Thellie11
    • 10
      If their answer includes just keep calling, tell them you'll do so for 10 minutes (or whatever number of minutes you feel is reasonable) and then if you don't get a response, you will have to lock up the store because you can't put off your own commitments going forward.
      via Thellie11
    • 11
      Then do it, and notify them in writing if it comes down to it. For example: "Ms. ManagerA, it's now 10:10pm and Coworker is not here. I've called you, coworker, and ManagerB each 3 times with no response. As we've previously discussed, I have prior commitments and cannot stay any later. I've completed closing duties, and am locking up the store and will return at (next scheduled shift date/time)"
      via Thellie11
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    • 12
      Things you may want to keep in mind: 1. If you quit or are fired, they will have even less coverage. If they're not firing your coworker, odds are low they will fire you. 2. You don't have to justify why you're not able to work a double, in fact you shouldn't the more - detail you provide on why you won't/can't, the more ammo you give them to make a rebuttal
      via Thellie11
    • 13
      3. their actions show they are not great managers so it's not a bad idea to start looking for a better job 4. knowing local labor laws never hurts, and may help you if you need to take future legal action
      via Thellie11
    • 14
      5. document it, or it didn't happen - If things come down to it, the more ammo you have to protect yourself the better (even if you never use it 6. HR is there to protect the company, HR often sees management as an extension of the company. Govern yourself accordingly
      via Thellie11
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    • 15
      BubblyDrama1652 It is the responsibility of your manager to find coverage, tell this lady to pound sand next time.
      via Thellie11

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    workplace discussion employment issues antiwork jobs employee retail convenience store employees Horrible Bosses workplace story employment
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