I was hired at Tijuana Flats in Ormond Beach which is a Franchise owned by Craig and Less. I was hired as agreed in the Management training program. There were currently 3 managers: Josh (GM), Albert (asst.), and Laura (future GM). They were a tightly knit group of people because the worked for a past business endeavor that Craig and Less owned in Orlando.
They had me filling in as a manager before I was properly trained and still paid me my Server's pay which was intended to be supplemented with tips. During a close, I personally have seen Josh the GM and Laura smoking inside the restaurant and letting other employees smoke inside while they cleaned up.in the stated of FL, smoking inside a restaurant in against the law. I mentioned something the other manager with no luck. I wasn't about to raise a huge fight and loose my management raise and position.
They brag that they have a very liberal drug policy. I personally have seen employees smoking weed in their car in the parking lot and out back on the steps. I complained to the GM (Josh) that they were doing drugs on the clock and he had the nerve to tell me in a very angry tone that These are my employees, not yours, I hired them and I'll talk to them not you! It's inappropriate and illegal!
A few nights down the road the owners were sitting down and having a meeting where I brought up the fact that they are letting the employees walk all over them and they need to step their foot down. After the meeting Josh and Laura pulled me aside (Albert had been fired at this point) and pretty much threatened me not to yell at the employees for the drug problem and not to mention it to the owners again!
A few more nights go by and I physically catch an employee buying drugs from a person that came to visit him in the restaurant. Not knowing how the other management would react I scolded him and let him go about his business. I then catch him out in his car smoking weed. I yelled at him and said I don't need you on the clock you need to go home.
I then Called up Josh and told him about the situation. Josh in anger threw the phone against the wall and broke it. I then got a call from Laura yelling at me for calling Josh about the problem when I was told for everything, call Josh. I walk out back to check on the guys in the kitchen (the one I sent home being one of them) there's no one in the kitchen? I walk out back... There smoking weed out of a pipe on the back porch! I sent them all home at that point.
I was so angry at them! I get a call from the owner screaming at me saying Who the hell do you think you are letting them smoke weed at my job! I came back with Excuse me? I hate drugs! I have being around them. I know people that do it at their own home, but not around me and especially not at work! He replies Well Laura told me that they had a talk with you about this before!? Me? Not them? Hello! He screamed more profanities at me and I interrupted with Excuse me but nobody talks to me this way, my father doesn't, my boyfriend doesn't, and damn sure you're not going to! And he hung up on me.
I waited around doing my management duties. I called another manager at another Tijuana Flatts store and asked her for advice. She was going to have a talk with our area supervisor, Matt. I called my mother crying because of what happened and she told me I don't deserve that and to call the cops, which I should have. Josh finally showed up and was sitting in his car out front. I walked outside, handed him my keys and said I don't need this sh*! I don't deserve to be treated like this, especially when I did the right thing! And left.
The next day I called Matt and told him about the situation. I told him I loved the company just my franchise had some problems and I am sorry about what happened. I asked him to call me back after he heard everything and I heard nothing. I didn't want to quit my job, I loved the company, I just don't deserve the treatment.
I called a few weeks later and asked for my paycheck and was told it would be here Sunday and to come pick it up. I told him I was going to send my parents to pick it up. They went in and there wasn't one. I then called multiple times looking for my last check. I then get a message from the manager who I didn't know saying that Craig says we don't owe you any money and to quit calling here. I tried multiple times calling Craig's phone with no response or call back. I by law am owed my last paycheck. I was a manager so we never clocked in. There is a way to prove I was there, but I need help. Thank you.
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