I was hired on Aug. 25, 2003. I had applied in Forest but was sent to Timberlake BK as they were desperate for managers. I was secretly 3 months pregnant, but def didn't look it. I was interviewed by DM Scott Richards who then had RGM Kelly W. Smith interview me. I was hired within the hour and my mom lent me money to go to Sears and purchase my uniform. At that time we wore light blue dress shirts (button ups), black pants, black shoes and a belt. I started the next day. I worked with Kelly and Ms. Lois. I quickly learned the positions and was running my own shifts within a week. It was less than a month later when ALL the RGMs in the company, office personnel, DMs, and owner went to a manager's conference in Myrtle Beach. I easily worked 80 hours that week, most of which I charitably did off the clock as the dinosaur registers had crashed and there was no one to fix them, so using paper, pen and calculators I ran the store successfully. In Nov. I was promoted to Asst. Mgr.
Marko and I decided to get married over Thanksgiving weekend. We scheduled it for 2 weeks later, working around our work schedule and the fact I had a required BK function to attend on 12/16. We got married 12/14. We even took Kelly a plate of food. I was told I needed to either close (yes that night on my wedding) or open the next morning at 5am... I chose to open. Everyone had called out thanks to an ice storm. At least I had pretty hair for my shift.
This job allowed me the funds and stability to purchase our 1st home (and if you ask me- it will be my forever house). Of course Marko was working too, but since he was only 17 they could not use his credit although he was emancipated.
Kelly was terminated over some questionable practices. I was nine month pregnant. I religiously worked a minimal 45hrs a week. i enjoyed my job, the customers and my coworkers. On Valentine's Day of course I worked-- 5am shift, but we were short handed and had a new manager now. I was supposed to get off at 2pm. That came and went, we were busy. I hadn't even had a break yet to use the bathroom let alone eat. The new store mgr came in at 3pm and went to the office and sat down and didn't help out at all. Finally a little after 6pm she took the drive thru headset (first time out the office) after being there for over 3 hours. After having worked 13 hours with only 1 bathroom break and not a single bite to eat at 9 months preg I was beyond starving and exhausted. The following day I was still sick. I ended up in labor in the hospital in slightly premature labor with severe dehydration thanks to my excessive work the day before. I started maternity that day 1t 37 weeks preg. Thanks to BK it did give me 1/2 my salary in maternity leave pay for 6 weeks and that was much needed and appreciated.
When I returned the store manager made life difficult. She would scream at me and blame any store issue on me. While the honest reason she had NO control over "her" store was because at 21 years old she was too busy sleeping with or being sexual with my 16 and 17 year old employees. It got to the point where I bought a book and had proof of labor, cash, drive thru times when I came in and when I left. That book likely saved my job as her lies to the DM about me were proven just that lies. We had a yelling match near Dec. Another manager said she had "heard" I was pregnant (I had let a majority of people know. All of my night shift crew knew. She would intentionally schedule herself off at 3pm so she wouldn't have to have contact with me-- except on Mondays when she would go over figures with me. I did a lot of her work for her while I did my 45-50 hrs a week on night shift. It was Jan at a manager's meeting I decided to let her know I was pregnant, almost 7 months. I wore the most skin tight shirt and jeans I could find and attended her meeting on my day off. She was less than pleased.
During my 15 months working with that "lovely" store manager it was all I could do to focus on my kids and the fact I needed that job with that income to support our family and so I remained. I worked sick numerous times over those two years, never once calling in.
I worked everyday I was on the schedule. Oddly enough the 1st day the store manager took me off the schedule was the day I had Jayna. I had been sick and I wonder if my killer cough brought on contractions. I had Jayna at 7am... at 9am BK tried to call me in ahahhahhaha!
I had 4 weeks of maternity leave with Jayna and was offered a promotion if I came back early and so I did. In May 2005 I was promoted to RGM. I worked extremely long hours with my new cholicky baby at home. Stressful but worth it to continue to watch my family stay a-float and off of any govt services. If my kids had a dr apt, my mom would take them as my schedule would rarely allow. My 6wk post partum check up I barely attended as I worked til 2, had to be there at 2:30 then still had to come back to work.
When My mother in-law needed financial help BK allowed us to help her, when Marko was miserable at work BK allowed him to quit, when Marko was laid off for 6 mos BK allowed us to (narrowly swing it), when Marko began a new career and buisness adventures- BK allowed us by putting us on a stable financial footing something few teen parents, young married couples can claim.
When I turned 21 in Oct 2006, I was stuck at a BK conference for 3 days
Other than my 1st RGM evaluation in Jan 2006 I have NEVER gotten a less than stellar eval. However as a new mom of 2, newly promoted and young I almost found it understandable, although that too made me want to quit. All my hours and hard work and they didn't acknowledge any of it. I took my kids to the mall jumpy place for my pitty party.
In Feb 2006 I crashed the neon picking up employees in a snow storm as BK had to be open regardless of weather. Luckily insurance covered most of that, but NOT bk.
I worked every single scheduled day through Dec 2009. I came in EVERY time I was called. I worked healthy or sick. I worked in ANY weather. One day it snowe so bad I was stuck. No buses or taxis were running. The snow was nearly 2 ft. I couldn't make it nor could my employees or other mgrs. I was in hot water. They threatened to fire me. From then on I slept in the Burger King on the floor under the desk anytime it snowed. I kept 2 blankets and a pillow at BK 24/7 for INCASE it snowed while I was at work. In March 2010 it snowed while we were sleeping, so I road my bike at 7am to BK to open it. That week I became soooooooooo sick. I still worked. The DM saw me, fellow Mgrs saw me, other store mgrs saw me and told me I looked severely sick. I was diagnosed with the flu and had been too sick for too many days for medications to help. I called out for my first every time- 5 days in a row, severely sick. Even when I returned to work I was sick, light headed dizzy, nauseated with low stamina for the next 12 days, but still I worked. I have not called out since March 2010. I have slept at the store a few times every winter, attended work sick a few times a yr for numerous days each time. I work many continuous stretches of days in a row. I work long hours. My children, housework, husband, friendships and hobbies all sit on a back burner.
And so our family is finally at the point where we don't need BK as badly as they need me. I am not getting as mmuch out of this employment deal as they are. Don't get me wrong, the money was VERY nice and I may not make that much again, but at what point is my mental health, physical health, emotional health and that of my family more important than finances? Marko's career is allowing me to step down. Maybe I will find something else, maybe not. Either way my family hasn't eaten this health ever. We are now day 12 without eating out. I have NEVER cooked more than 2x in a month so this is a complete turn around. I will be intelligent and look for employment, but I will NOT rush into something and find myself in a similar circumstance. I have rearranged my priorities for good. I resigned on March 16, 2012. The DM got mad and told me to leave after a talk. I did and I'll never look back!
Thanks for the memories and the opportunities BK. I enjoyed many a day and the responsibilities you entrusted me with. But enough is enough. Thanks, but no thanks. This era is over.
