Does anyone have experience with discrimination at work?

[Snozzle]

Ok I never thought this would happen to me, but it now has. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this and if anyone has some suggestions, I am thinking of getting a lawyer, but I am not sure if I even have a case here. I have usually worked with and for men and never had a problem with anyone, I can work as hard as any guy in general and have been a cook for 10+ years and I am comfortable and confident in what I am doing.
I have been at my current workplace for close to a year. An elderly lady used to own this small restaurant and I loved working for her, but she sold it to the other cook due to her age and just being exhausted from being there every single day. The new owner took over most of the crew and made me general manager due to my experience as a cook, having managed restaurants before and being the only one qualified for the job. I have been placed on salary, but only making about $0.10 more then the new hires, but not making tips or overtime pay. I am expected to run the store, but if I tell someone to do one thing, the owner goes behind my back and tells the employee not to worry about it, I am not even allowed to do write ups or have the manager code on the computer which some of the other employees do have.
I pushed him to hire a female friend of mine because he only hired his male friends who all turned out to be extremely lazy and I had worked with my friend before and knew she was a good worker. He reluctantly gave her a job, but it seems to have made things worse, we pretty much do everything while all the guys sit around all day. We have a check list and usually the guys that are there have 1 or 2 things checked off and I will have about 20 things checked that I did. I complained about one of the guys not doing his job and leaving it for me to the owner and was told he would talk to him. I then found out the next day that the employee was told that he didn't have to worry about doing anything and to just leave it for the girls. The guys have gotten away with just taking money and sleeping on the job, while my friend was told that she is now on a 'short leash' and she better watch herself or she will be fired after she forgot to do something rather inimportant. I had not been threatened yet, but I want to think that is because I am vital to the store remaining open(I am the only one that knows all the recipes) and I would walk out right then because I don't put up with threats, so I now think they are going after her to get to me. All of my complaints have been falling on deaf ears and none of the issues is ever addressed.
My friend and I are always the ones putting up the truck and had the 50 lb bags of flour just sitting in the floor for 2 weeks when I cracked a rib until I was well enough to lift them again since my friend has a bad back and couldn't do it either. I never ask for help, but I would think any decent person would offer some help lifting this stuff since I am not exactly a big girl and have a bit of a time getting these bags up on anything since I'm only 5ft tall and simply out of height reasons are at a disadvantage here, but my boss rather just stands there, watches me and grins.
I thought for the longest time maybe it's just me imagining this, but I did get some confirmation this evening from one of the guys who was still part of the old crew and does help out some, though he doesn't get many hours since he isn't the owners buddy. I was told that the owners are extremely sexist and feel like the women should be doing all the work there. We do have cameras which should clearly show what is going on. What should I do here? I am looking for another job, but I am very big on fair treatment and I just can't let them get away with this. I am a very hard worker and enjoy trying to outwork people, so it's not just me whining about having to do something, it is normal for me to do twice the work that everyone else does just because I want to, but I am just so baffled by what is going on here, I have never seen such outrageous behavior.
What do I do here, who do I go to, should I start keeping a log? Help, I need some justice to be served here so no one else has to deal with this ever again!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

You should absolutely log everything.

I would recommend that you keep looking for another job, but also ask for what you want and need at work and keep asking. Keep a log of the responses.

Good luck. Sounds awful there.

 

[Snozzle]

Thank you!
I have asked him to work with me on the sues there many times and tried to even meet him half way, but nothing works. It's so sad, I love that place, I put in so much work trying to get it going, part of the menu, dish names and recipes are my ideas and I hand pick the produce from local farmers once a week. It breaks my heart to leave there and I hate starting a new job, but it has to be done.

 

[redhen]

People will treat you like you allow them...why would you do everything? That's just silly..
You're not going to get any brownie points by doing that...as a manager..you need to delegate those jobs to whomever is supposed to do them(have a meeting with your staff and let them each know what YOU expect) ....they don't do them..report them to the boss and move on....REPORT ..REPORT..REPORT..in WRITING..(and keep copies)
If the jobs still don't get done..that's your bosses problem..NOT yours..because you don't own the place.
If he says.."why isn't this getting done?" You say..".I delegated that job to Fred..I REPORTED it to you that it wasn't getting done..."
Just cover your butt..
But again..remember...if you allow this to happen...don't complain toooo much.

 

[duckinnut]

While I don't think it is discrimination but is nothing more than a male chauvinist ego at work. It seems to me this guy just wants his friends working there, like an ol' boy network. I also think the new owner is threatened by what you know about your field and skills you have. It seems he is trying to drive you out and getting out my be just the thing to do for a couple of reasons. First, you should not be subjected to that kind of treatment. Second, this business is not going to last long the way this guy wants to run it. Mainly when you hire friends, as you have seen nothing gets done or they won't be his friends anymore. But by that time there will be no business left. So if I were you I would start shopping my talent around hard because there will someone looking for your talent as this clown doesn't deserve what you offer.

 

[Snozzle]

People will treat you like you allow them...why would you do everything? That's just silly..
You're not going to get any brownie points by doing that...as a manager..you need to delegate those jobs to whomever is supposed to do them(have a meeting with your staff and let them each know what YOU expect) ....they don't do them..report them to the boss and move on....REPORT ..REPORT..REPORT..in WRITING..(and keep copies)
If the jobs still don't get done..that's your bosses problem..NOT yours..because you don't own the place.
If he says.."why isn't this getting done?" You say..".I delegated that job to Fred..I REPORTED it to you that it wasn't getting done..."
Just cover your butt..
But again..remember...if you allow this to happen...don't complain toooo much.

Well I have tried that, but I work twice as many hours as everyone else there, therefore if something doesn't get done I end up running out of stuff on my shift. If no one makes sauce or washes dishes I can't just tell customers 'sorry folks, we have no sauce or forks'. I do assign jobs and as said the owner just goes behind my back and tells people not to listen to me. I have some pride in my work, which is another reason why I can't just let everything fall apart, I just feel that I have too much invested in this place to let it fall apart.

 

[EweSheep]

Where is Chef Ramsey? That ought to boil the owner's butt big time!

I agree with the others, document, document and more documents and if it still falls on deaf ears, then it is time to move elsewhere that the new owners can use you.

No restaurant is without a good manager or good chef.

 

[MamaRoo]

You can't win this. The owner has the right to run his business any way he wants, and he wants you to do all the work. Being expected to do "your job" is not discrimination. The law has nothing to say about it.



Quote: Yes you can. Tell the owner that if this task isn't done by this person, this is what will happen. "If the dishes aren't done by Fred, I will have to tell the customers that there are no more forks. Fred hasn't done the dishes in the past, and today I am too busy to do his work for him." Write it down in your log book, and also on something you give to the owner.

As someone else said, you are only responsible for your job, not the restaurant. By choosing to do everyone's work you are supporting the owners' treatment of women.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Walk...you have all the skills, all the knowledge and all the power. He is jerking you around and will not change. You have allowed yourself to be put in the position, and he knows he has you over a barrel. Give him a single warning, in writing, about your complaints, give him two weeks to turn things around, and use your single warning as a two week notice....something like this....

Dear George,

I, as manager of this restaurant, have repeatedly addressed the following concerns with you. (then list everything...not sharing tips, things not getting done, the health violations of flour sitting on the floor, etc) I feel that if these concerns are not addressed, it will adversely effect the success of this business. Because I care about the continued success of this business, I feel that if these issues must be addressed. If they are not resolved in the coming weeks, please consider this my notice of resignation.

Then follow through. I think that he has walked over you long enough that he will not change. He has undermined your authority, hired people who do not want to work, and has made sure that without you and your friend, his business will fail. Let it fail, while you love the restaurant, he doesn't. You don't owe any loyalty or anything else to a jerk who thinks that owning a business is all he has to do to make it work. LET HIM FAIL. You have skills and experience to take somewhere else.

 

[herfrds]

Definately keep a record of everything that is going on.
Just a thought on my side look into setting up a hidden camera of your own and get video proof of what is going on there.
You know a picture is worth a thousand words.

Yeah it does suck. Some of my co-workers are lazy too. So I know what you are talking about. Can't change them, but I quit cleaning up after them all the time.