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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My son's manager - Unreasonable?

53 replies

gabsdot45 · 26/11/2023 17:01

My son has been working as a delivery driver for a local fast food place as a second job.
Last weekend he said to another driver something like
"I don't like the food here, it's very overpriced and I wouldn't buy it"
He was overheard, without him knowing by the manager.

Next day she texted him to say that she was very upset by what he had said. He apologised but then she cancelled his next shift and has not rostered him this weekend. So it looks like he has lost the job.

Personally I think the manager is being ridiculous but I'm interested to here what other people think.

So YABU - The manager is right to be upset
YANBU - The manager is being ridiculous.

OP posts:
TheWildRumpyPumpus · 26/11/2023 17:37

He did a Ratner!

Valuable lesson and he shouldn’t have any issue getting another job in this field.

Differentstarts · 26/11/2023 17:40

glassyhag · 26/11/2023 17:37

Sweet Jesus, you do know that that same food pays the managers wages don't you?

I swear to God some petite have no idea about anything. It's the managers job to run the costumes as effectively as possible while maximising the money made. Do you think a good manager would or should allow a member of staff that deals with customers, to go around loudly saying that the food is over priced and awful? Hmm? Honestly?

Show quote history

He said it to his colleague. I'm sure it wasn't infront of customers. So you've never slagged your work place of to your colleagues

Kitcaterpillar · 26/11/2023 17:43

@Differentstarts Of course I've slagged my work place, but if my manager heard me, I'd be shovelling shit to try and get back out that hole and expecting it to not end particularly well.

SoupDragon · 26/11/2023 17:44

Differentstarts · 26/11/2023 17:40

He said it to his colleague. I'm sure it wasn't infront of customers. So you've never slagged your work place of to your colleagues

Show quote history

If he was happy to say it where the manager could overhear, he could be saying it anywhere. Valuable lesson learned IMO.

Differentstarts · 26/11/2023 17:45

Kitcaterpillar · 26/11/2023 17:43

@Differentstarts Of course I've slagged my work place, but if my manager heard me, I'd be shovelling shit to try and get back out that hole and expecting it to not end particularly well.

Edited

I think my managers would join in

Bobbotgegrinch · 26/11/2023 17:46

Well that was a stupid thing for him to do. Never slag off your workplace somewhere that work might find out about it.

glassyhag · 26/11/2023 17:50

@Differentstarts

He said it to a colleague IN WORK in hearing range of a manager. That shows a starting lack of awareness. If you want to slag somebody/something off I think the first rule is that you do it so you don't get caught or over heard. And he might not have been with a customer right then but honestly, I would 100% think somebody who is so blasé about slating the product and services they are delivering to a colleague , I wouldn't doubt they would do it to a customer.

Differentstarts · 26/11/2023 17:56

glassyhag · 26/11/2023 17:50

@Differentstarts

He said it to a colleague IN WORK in hearing range of a manager. That shows a starting lack of awareness. If you want to slag somebody/something off I think the first rule is that you do it so you don't get caught or over heard. And he might not have been with a customer right then but honestly, I would 100% think somebody who is so blasé about slating the product and services they are delivering to a colleague , I wouldn't doubt they would do it to a customer.

I slag work of all the time iv never done it in customer spaces.

RedRidingGood · 26/11/2023 17:56

Shame the manager didn't speak to him to understand why he held that opinion of the food. It could've also been a way to improve his business - if your son has that opinion maybe there are other customers who would too.

ImCamembertTheBigCheese · 26/11/2023 17:57

Aquamarine1029 · 26/11/2023 17:14

You son fucked up. Hopefully, he's learned his lesson.

Totally

seagull82 · 26/11/2023 18:02

I'm with you the manager is being ridiculous.. it's not like he knocked on the customers door and said btw your food is overpriced crap.
Completely unprofessional to fire someone with no warning, if there is an HR department your son should put complaint in.

User1775 · 26/11/2023 18:13

I employ young people on a casual basis and would not pay him after that. A customer could hear him and I want my staff to be ambassadors for my business. I get 20-30 applications a month - why pay someone who doesn't have the best interests of the business at heart.

Daphnis156 · 26/11/2023 18:16

Well it looks like you've been given the lesson your son should have had...

glassyhag · 26/11/2023 18:16

User1775 · 26/11/2023 18:13

I employ young people on a casual basis and would not pay him after that. A customer could hear him and I want my staff to be ambassadors for my business. I get 20-30 applications a month - why pay someone who doesn't have the best interests of the business at heart.

A thousand times this. You can easily tell in this thread who had experience running a business and who is happy to go to work, bite the hand that feeds them and still want ££££

AlecTrevelyan006 · 26/11/2023 18:17

As a manager (not in hospitality), I would be disappointed to hear a member of staff criticising the company in this manner. But it's a 'having a quiet word' matter, not a 'sacking' matter.

LIZS · 26/11/2023 18:21

The manager may be unreasonable but if the contract is 0 hours and they can pick and choose delivery drivers it is their call. Maybe this is not the first sign of his discontent or attitude.

Azandme · 26/11/2023 18:22

You don't bite the hand that feeds you. He's young, he's learnt the hard way.

You aren't young, but you've asked this question... I guess you didn't learn this until now.

NumberTheory · 26/11/2023 18:25

Your son should not be criticizing his employer where he can be overheard (though, God knows, I’ve done it enough myself).

The manager is probably being ridiculous not to just have a quiet word instead of dropping him, but if she has a lot of good workers she doesn’t need to have a quiet word with you can see why she might.

Hellocatshome · 26/11/2023 18:27

All those saying it isn't a sacking matter. He hasn't been sacked. He hasn't been given shifts. If you have more people than there are shifts why would you give shifts to someone who bad mouths your business.

Cas112 · 26/11/2023 18:29

He's representing the company, he's an employee, it's not very professional

EvilElsa · 26/11/2023 18:32

She doesn't have to offer him hours -if she can pick and choose the staff to offer hours to then why would she bother with one who has been caught openly slagging off the company? I do feel for him, he obviously just didn't think and stuck both feet right in it, but he will move on and find something else. Lesson learned. We ALL have had a bitch about our jobs at some point and that's fine and natural, but you've got to pick the time and place and who you say it to!

Hipnotised · 26/11/2023 18:35

Op why do you think his manager was ridiculous? If you slated your company do you not think there would be consequences?

Brefugee · 26/11/2023 18:35

AlecTrevelyan006 · 26/11/2023 18:17

As a manager (not in hospitality), I would be disappointed to hear a member of staff criticising the company in this manner. But it's a 'having a quiet word' matter, not a 'sacking' matter.

it's a zero hours contract though? so less being sacked and more not getting any shifts for being a dozy bugger

Boymum2104 · 26/11/2023 18:59

Differentstarts · 26/11/2023 17:34

I think the manager is over reacting, if it was the owner and a small local business I could understand but I don't see why the manager is that bothered.

Someone employs that manager to care about that business so good on them for taking their job seriously

Hankunamatata · 26/11/2023 19:01

She heard him so she is wondering g who else he has been saying this too ie customers he is delivering too.