An Olive Garden eatery in Kansas saw its manager get sacked for advising employees to find other jobs if they needed time off.
If an employee calls in sick, the management instructed the staff in writing, “It would be advisable to seek alternative employment,” as reported by KCTV5, which obtained a copy of the message.
The now-dismissed manager commented, “If you’re unwell, you must demonstrate it to us; if your pet passes away, you need to bring evidence to us.”
The team leader implied that the management was frustrated with the frequent absences due to a shortage of staff.
An Overland Park restaurant manager claimed that the staff were frequently absent, and the post gained rapid attention online.
The manager’s message praised her own work ethic, stating that she had worked even when ill and after her car had been totaled in an accident.
The message concluded by expressing gratitude to the punctual staff members and adding, “I wish there were more like you. I hope you choose to continue working here, and I think we make it as simple as we can on y’all.”
According to local news station KCTV, the manager was fired by the casual Italian restaurant chain by Tuesday. The chain’s slogan is “When you’re here, you’re family.”
An Olive Garden spokesperson stated that the manager’s remarks “did not align with the company’s values.”
The spokesperson mentioned, “We put in a lot of effort to provide our team members with a caring and respectful work environment. We can confirm that this manager and I have parted ways.”
The terminated manager’s message sparked outrage online. A response to the note, widely shared, was posted on the Twitter account F*k You I Quit, which exposes workplace misconduct.
The account stated on Wednesday, “These power-tripping people are unbelievable. Who wouldn’t pause before sending something like this?”
The US labor market displayed signs of declining tolerance for abusive employers when the Olive Garden manager met his downfall.
According to estimates by the McKinsey consulting firm, up to 40% of US employees are ready to leave their jobs, partly due to the increased options brought by the coronavirus pandemic, reducing the need to tolerate mistreatment from supervisors.
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