Does anyone here think this is really a privacy issue?

I thought THIS] was rather amusing. Not the nasty note but that Applebee’s used privacy as an excuse for firing this worker.

Sorry about that Mac, I just now read your post. BTW, this sort of thing goes on much more than people know. The Sunday crowd in local restaurants frequently do this to the waitresses. Some even leave pennies as a joke. Also, Applebee’s sent a recent memo to all stores stating that as of Jan. all new hires may only work 28 hours because of the upcoming Affordable Health Care act. Their employees make on the average (as do most restaurant employees) $18,000 a year. Try living on that for a year. Now try living on that wage and raising children.
Cap’t Jack

It is comical.
Applebee’s just doesn’t want any controversy, so they probably figured that firing the waitress would be easier then criticizing the pastor.
However, Welch could be blamed for not keeping the mockery of customers between herself and coworkers, IMO.

It is comical. Applebee’s just doesn’t want any controversy, so they probably figured that firing the waitress would be easier then criticizing the pastor. However, Welch could be blamed for not keeping the mockery of customers between herself and coworkers, IMO.
Welch knew that if she sought any kind of justice, reporting this to her GM would get her nowhere as the customer is always right, but the irony here is that a religious leader, exemplifying xtianity would mock someone who relies on tips to make at least a basic living and who was aware of it, would stoop so low as to pull this trick. If anything, he should have sympathized with her and given a 20% tip instead of 18. Maybe he hasn't had to live on a wage that qualifies one for food stamps. Cap't Jack

Obviously the comment on the receipt is wrong for all kinds of reasons not the least of which is as you said, this person is working hard for tips and to get that sort of comment at the end of a long day instead of a tip is the ultimate in rude, self centered, insensitive behavior. Reporting it to management only added insult to injury. You could almost excuse the stupid comment as being written in the heat of anger over something that may have happened ( maybe the service was horrible) but you cant use that excuse when you report it to the supervisor days later and get the person fired.
It’s just laughable that they portray this as a privacy issue though. Anything you write on something as public as a receipt is hardly private. And why was the writer embarrassed by it. If it was something to be ashamed of she shouldn’t have written it in the first place. Do we have some constitutional right to have our insults kept private after we hurl them at someone??

Sorry about that Mac, I just now read your post. BTW, this sort of thing goes on much more than people know. The Sunday crowd in local restaurants frequently do this to the waitresses. Some even leave pennies as a joke. Also, Applebee's sent a recent memo to all stores stating that as of Jan. all new hires may only work 28 hours because of the upcoming Affordable Health Care act. Their employees make on the average (as do most restaurant employees) $18,000 a year. Try living on that for a year. Now try living on that wage and raising children. Cap't Jack
First I heard about the 28 hour limit; if true I'll have to stop going to Applebee's. Does the rule inculde management?

I agree with Mac. If one writes that note on a paper that’s going to be out of his/her control, it’s not private.
Too bad I never eat at Applee’s. If I did, I could stop going there. However, I do try to do my positive and negative shopping based on the companies’ behavior. For example, Los Angeles just had a gun buy-back program, and Ralph’s markets contributed a significant amount of money to that. I now go out of my way to buy my food there rather than at the other supermarkets in the area.
Occam

First I heard about the 28 hour limit; if true I’ll have to stop going to Applebee’s. Does the rule inculde management?
Unfortunately it is true. My son is an assistant KM at one of our local Applebees and he has seen the memo. In fact upper mgt. had it posted on the bulliten board before the presidential election. And no, it doesn't effect management. They already get medical benefits anyway. This is happening to restaurant and fast food employees everywhere, e.g. papa Johns pizza. I'll never order one. These workers work their butts off for chump change and without a union, they're fair game. No benefits,low wages and long hours, at least up to 39 weekly to prevent them from qualifying for medical benefits. It's a form of legal slavery, and if they aren't satisfied then they can be fired or forced out. Morale is extremely low and there are absolutely no incentives to improve service. Most young employees average about 6 months before moving on to another job, if they can find one. How does one take pride in their work when they are treated in this manner? BTW, as an assistant, our son doesn't qualify for benefits either. He works full time and has gone back to college to finish his degree, thank heavens. Cap't Jack

One can’t help but wonder, if the morale is so low and attitudes made so negative among fast food workers, what the quality of the food they prepare is.
Occam

One can't help but wonder, if the morale is so low and attitudes made so negative among fast food workers, what the quality of the food they prepare is. Occam
You mean if a Big Mac was prepared by a PhD who makes $200,000, it would be delicious? :smirk:

Aw come on, George. You know I didn’t mean that. Rather, if a food preparer is angry because of being treated badly by his/her company, the chance that s/he will spit or flip some mucus onto your food or using it after it’s been dropped to the floor while s/he’s preparing it is increased compared to a worker who feels that s/he is being treated fairly by his/her employer.
And, no, I don’t think that Big Mac would be delicious because that very highly paid person might think anyone who would bother eating fast food would be one of Romney’s 47% who doesn’t deserve getting high quality food. >:-(
Occam

I know you didn’t mean that, Occam. That was an attempt at trying to make a joke.

Sorry about that Mac, I just now read your post. BTW, this sort of thing goes on much more than people know. The Sunday crowd in local restaurants frequently do this to the waitresses. Some even leave pennies as a joke. Also, Applebee's sent a recent memo to all stores stating that as of Jan. all new hires may only work 28 hours because of the upcoming Affordable Health Care act. Their employees make on the average (as do most restaurant employees) $18,000 a year. Try living on that for a year. Now try living on that wage and raising children. Cap't Jack
First I heard about the 28 hour limit; if true I'll have to stop going to Applebee's. Does the rule inculde management? It was all over the news.The owner of Applebee's specifically said it was because of 'Obamacare'. I used to eat there, I won't again. The Good Christian Pastor, from accounts I heard, first demanded that everyone working that shift be immediately fired. A little hubris, do you think? And now she's sorry? Yeah, right! She's sorry about the blowback!
It was all over the news.The owner of Applebee’s specifically said it was because of ‘Obamacare’. I used to eat there, I won’t again.
I might not either but they're better then Ruby Tuesdays. Still there are others. Applebees isn't the only one in town. The only gripe I have with boycotts is if they work, they people stuck with jobs there have a nasty tendency to lose what they have.
The Good Christian Pastor, from accounts I heard, first demanded that everyone working that shift be immediately fired. A little hubris, do you think? And now she’s sorry? Yeah, right! She’s sorry about the blowback!
The hypocracy here on the part of this pastor is breath taking, ain't it?
I might not either but they’re better then Ruby Tuesdays. Still there are others. Applebees isn’t the only one in town. The only gripe I have with boycotts is if they work, they people stuck with jobs there have a nasty tendency to lose what they have.
They've lost anyway. Actually those greedy bastards at corporate HQ have set this up. Now they are making the working schedules by computer to ensure that the workers have only the amount of hours I mentioned to offset the new act. This without even consulting their GMs who now have no input. It's orders from headquarters now. And as you mentioned, it's happening to restaurants everywhere in the US. Publicity and letters to upper mgt. will help better than boycotts. This is going to effect millions of those workers who are barely hanging on to their jobs, not to mention the quality of the food. Cap't Jack

Aside from the ethical issues, (I’m completely on the worker’s side), I think I’d avoid eating at a place where the staff have little or no access to health care simply because the idea of someone with untreated TB or hepatitis preparing my salad kind of messes with my appetite. If people can’t see universal access to healthcare as a right, maybe they could at least see it as an asset to society, like a fire department or public water and sewer systems.

While I cannot make the case that universal health care is a right, I certainly can make the case that it is in the public interest to see to it that such needs are met. Jericon’s point on this question is well taken.

They’ve lost anyway. Actually those greedy bastards at corporate HQ have set this up. Now they are making the working schedules by computer to ensure that the workers have only the amount of hours I mentioned to offset the new act.
Are any of their rivals any better though? A lot of these outfits aren’t exactly keen to advertise the fact if they’re not. There’s a Shlotzky’s Deli right next to the Applebees where I live. If they’re stand up guys about this, I may just go there next time I take Mum out and let them know why.

Are any of their rivals any better though? A lot of these outfits aren’t exactly keen to advertise the fact if they’re not. There’s a Shlotzky’s Deli right next to the Applebees where I live. If they’re stand up guys about this, I may just go there next time I take Mum out and let them know why.
We have a Shlotzky's here too and their sandwiches are delicious, not to mention that you can see just how they are fixed but I have no idea how they treat their employees. As a general rule though most restaurant workers from the front of the house (waitresses and greeters) to the back (fry cooks, broilers, dish tankers etc.) are treated abut the same, especially in the larger corporations. You may remember Long John Silvers fish and chips store? The pilot store was in Lexington and my friends and I ate there the year it opened. A British restaurateur and his friend started it, just one store. the quality of the food was high then. We met him, and his idea was to see if it would catch on here and it did. They later sold the business and when it became a mega corporation, costs were cut by selling in bulk, the quality of the food went to hell and the cycle began, low wages, no benefits and crap food. I don't want to harp on this but it happens to every restaurant after massive expansion and the corporate bosses take control of the product. It stops being about people and becomes a race for profit only. Cap't Jack
You may remember Long John Silvers fish and chips store?
Yeah...we have one here in my hometown which is combined with an A&W franchise...which I might point out is no better in terms of quality. A lot of the fast food operations are in trouble for the very simple reason that they forgot what it was which made them so wildly successful in the first place, which was food which tasted good and which was served super fast. It may not have been what one called "Good for you," but if I'm eating out, I don't care about that. If I want to graze, I can nuke some alfalfa sprouts at home, toss some vinigret on it and call it solved. Seems to me a lot of megecorps are forgetting that what made them great was getting quality people and making sure that they had a pay and benefits package worthy of their knowladge and skill.
Seems to me a lot of megecorps are forgetting that what made them great was getting quality people and making sure that they had a pay and benefits package worthy of their knowladge and skill.
I think part of the problem is that when these franchises go public they are now only beholden to their shareholders whose bottom line is to make a profit from the company and they don't give a damn how this is done, as long as I get my share so to speak. That's where quantity and cost cutting begins and that's when the quality is sacrificed along with the workers. who wants to remain loyal to a faceless corporation that screws you on wages and benefits? also, If it wasn't for the FDA you would be fed dog food and not know it. In fact, after testing the meat used by Taco Bell, it was found to be one step from dogfood with an infusion of bone meal. We joke about what goes into fast food, soy burgers etc. but concern is growing especially as to diet. In this area it's fat, salt and sugar on practically everything but it sells and it's cheap. Once again, quantity over quality. Cap't Jack