Tell Me What You REALLY Think...

To:(Name Withheld)
Multi Unit Manager
Dunkin Donuts
Cafua Management.                                  



Dear (Anonymous),

  I’m not quite sure if our previous conversation sufficiently projected the full amount of frustration that I’m feeling about working for Dunkin Donuts/ Cafua Management  at this time.

When I first began my employment, I made a few (apparently erroneous) assumptions about my new employer.

First..  I was under the impression that I was being paid as a salaried employee... Which, (correct me if I’m wrong) means that, technically, I’m “on the clock”, so to speak, twenty four- seven. That’s a give and take to me. I work six days a week, as opposed to five, with no breaks.. which seems a little excessive, but I was told once my store was running correctly, I may be eligible to work five days, if my benevolent supervisor feels I deserve it.. Which could be never.. Forget the fact that, 2 months deep, and I’m already severely burnt out. Suck it up, right?

Fine.
I can take that.

But, along with that, I expected just a little give from the company’s end as well. No sick days? For a salaried employee? Ummmm, ok.. I realize they’re not really “legally required” to give me sick days, so that’s fine. I suppose..  I can (reluctantly) deal with it.
I do, however, find it more than a little amusing/disturbing that an organization as large as Dunkin Donuts, or even Cafua Management , would tell Store Managers how important, valuable, and so very vital they are to the business to inspire some sort of loyalty to The Brand, yet not provide something as basic as sick day in appreciation for all of the positive things they contribute. The company obviously requires enormous amounts of sacrifices from management, yet, from what I’ve seen in the last 2 months,  isn’t willing to reciprocate the commitment or the loyalty it so adamantly requires in return.. Hell, I have yet to see conclusive evidence that the company is even willing to provide managers with the necessary tools, functioning equipment or investment in labor to adequately run their stores with any real measure of success.  But that’s neither here nor there.


At the very least I would expect a smidgen of compassion, understanding and trust, while not being treated like a sixteen year old crew member trying to dodge work to go to the beach when I’m not healthy enough to put in 8 hours, or if something comes up unexpectedly, and I’m not able to go to work. I have worked sick. Plenty of times. Most days, the distress my stomach suffers from would be enough for just about anyone else to consider themselves “sick”, and call out. But, I am not most people, and I muscle through the agony.. I am fully aware of the difference between The Sniffles and a Digestive System Failure.

You will accept “I don’t feel good” as a viable excuse for a teenager to call out of work, but when the adult feels like he’s got the god damn swine flu and a bunch of tumors in his head, you call “Bullshit”. At what point do I become beyond reproach? I am a 32 year old father in a position of  authority and responsibility to the business I (allegedly) run. I don’t play the “sick game”. And I would expect to be treated as such and with a certain amount of professional courtesy.  To require me to call out a full six hours before my shift is unreasonable and retarded. A LOT can happen in six hours..  I could feel better, or I could be rushed to the Emergency Room. If I’m in no shape to drag my sick carcass into the store, what makes you think I necessarily have the presence of mind to call (You) at 2 AM, or that I have the ability to call around for adequate coverage at that hour, either? And what would have happened at that point? Would I have reached the same Voicemail box that I got a mere two hours later?

Probably.

So what’s the difference?

Nothing.
It’s pretty simple, actually..
I work in a RESTAURANT.
The policy in the Employee Handbook clearly states that an employee shall NOT report to work if he or she is vomiting or has diarrhea. It does NOT say that an employee needs to secure adequate coverage for their shift in the event of said vomiting or diarrhea. What if I was in a car accident? How about a heart attack? If I slipped into a coma, would you still be writing me up for not providing you with 6 hours of notice and an employee to cover my shift?

No.
And if you did, there would certainly be more than a few raised eyebrows.
I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but the North won the Civil War. Slavery has been abolished.
Just another example of someone asserting their dominance and authority over another person instead of helping to resolve the problem. Debbie took care of it for me. Without judgment or pretense. Pre-Dunkin Donuts history notwithstanding, Debbie Capron has earned my loyalty by being unwaveringly loyal to me in return.. If she wanted or needed me to work 12 hours on my day off for her, I would. Without question. For free.

She knows this.

She knows this because when something comes up with me, she has my back, regardless of what kind of situation it puts her in. I work my tail off for her, and she sets me up for success. She’s got my back.  And I have hers. She helps me out when I’m in a pickle, and I ask “How high?“ when she tells me to jump. We make sacrifices for each other, because we’re on the same team. That’s how it works. One hand washes the other. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. She is my boss, and yet only flexes her authority as a last resort. She treats me with respect. Like a person. This is obviously a concept that has escaped your grasp. I’ve been trying to scratch your back for weeks, only to be the target of blatant mistrust and blame for situations beyond my control in return. If you feel as though what you say to me goes in one ear, and out the other, it’s because that’s exactly what happens.

Why am I going to go the extra mile for you, or put the extra time in to make you look better, when you throw me under the bus at every possible opportunity?   I certainly hadn’t a clue that I would be expected to work my one scheduled day off in the event that my health prevented me from being in the restaurant for the standard 48 hours or 6 days....  And, how dare you suggest such a thing, when less than two weeks ago, we both heard a representative from the NH Department of Labor tell us that it was unlawful for you to do so.  I can guarantee you that, barring emergency circumstances, Dave Furbush working on his one day off in a week will never happen.

A man has to have principles, and I’m sticking to this one. I’m not going to put forth the extra effort for a company that expects so much, yet fails to provide a positive working relationship with management based on compromise and mutual respect. How did I come to this conclusion?  Partially because I don’t feel as though the sacrifices I make for the company are even noticed, much less appreciated. Quite the opposite, actually..  And partially because I’m not a huge fan of working for free for people that insist on riding my ass every day and writing me up over such trivial nonsense..

Isn’t that why I’m paid salary? Again, give and take..  I frequently work past my scheduled time to leave. I certainly wouldn’t expect to leave an hour early on Tuesday if I were to stay an hour late on Monday. It all evens out at the end, right?  So, if something comes up, and I’m down a closer, I cover it, and when something else comes up with me, I can leave when I need to without getting into an awkward pissing contest with my boss about it. There’s a shared benefit to having certain employees on a set salary. It seems that your organization seems to have left the “shared” part of that term out of their personal definition.. This is completely unacceptable.


In regards to what was so eloquently referred to as me “missing an excessive amount of time in the last 2 months“..

Five days.

In over 2 months.

Three of which were spent in the hospital having my son.

 I was also under the assumption that the brain-trust who hired me were well aware of my immediately imminent fatherhood, and would respect my need to be with my family during the event. That said, I was extremely disappointed to learn how non-respectful my employer was to the situation. Sure.. I got the “extra” day off, but not without a fight.

That just ain’t right.

I know there is a business to run,  but when I’ve been up for 72 hours straight in the hospital, the last thing in the world I’m concerned with is Tamworth Dunkin Donut’s Inventory being submitted on time, or how many people are on the floor for breakfast. I’m in no condition to deal with those things. None. And this was clearly understood by all.. Someone would surely take care of it without hassling me, during a very difficult time, and I would return the favor as soon as I was able to.

Right?

WRONG.

Surprise, surprise. Yet another situation where Dave is made to feel like a neglectful and irresponsible Store Manager because he’s a little too busy in Concord having a baby, and can’t properly tend to his store today.  What a scumbag, huh?

Cheatin’ The Man.

Which brings me toward my third ridiculous assumption.. That I would be trained for six weeks, and learn all there was to know about running the business before I was handed the keys and actually expected to do so and produce positive results .
Getting hired “off the street” to run a Dunkin Donuts, I was immediately impressed by what I then perceived as  Dunkin’s insatiable hunger for results, accountability, and follow up. They seemed like they were all “on the ball” and somewhere in the same ball park as my previous employer in terms of the overall organization and training departments.. When they tell you to expect something, they follow through. I was in capable hands. Not only that, I was being trained by someone that I have the highest professional respect for. Everyone wins. Or, so I thought. Going from New Guy to Manager in a mere month and a half seemed like an enormous challenge, and  the company seemed like it was fully capable of successfully guiding me through the process. Everything was coming together.. I absorbed more information in a week, than most people are capable of downloading in a month. I truly enjoyed my work. It was a pleasure to learn while being surrounded by such organization, and initiative. There was little to no negativity in the restaurant, and I was treated fairly when it came to maneuvering my schedule around appointments and family activities. It really did seem like I’d made a wise decision. This place is kinda awesome.


When reality fully set in, I was sitting in the office in Ossippee when Debbie told me I was going to be moved to Tamworth after less than a third of my training. I realize that I’m a quick study, but Holy Christ. I knew how to open the front of house with relative precision, and how to make some sandwiches. I knew less than nothing about baking, product prep, or paperwork. Again.. A Company of this size and scope shouldn’t be this ridiculously unprofessional when training a Restaurant Manager. To say I’m not impressed would be a massive understatement.

That said..

I find it almost laughable that you would consider my presence in the restaurant so completely necessary at all times. In addition to receiving just one day off a week, the amount of grief I encounter when trying to get out at a decent hour, or have certain days off is downright stupid. Under normal circumstances, I get the point..

Kinda..

The Manager needs to be in the store to ensure certain standards are being met, right? I have a few issues with this, in regards to myself specifically. Most of my employees know more about the business than I do. They’re training me. What am I supposed to tell them? I’m expected to hold people accountable for things I don’t have the foggiest idea about. I’m operating on experience in general restaurant management alone. Speaking of experience..

I’m also under the assumption that I was brought on board, in part, because of the 8 years I spent working for your primary competitor.. Yet, any time I present any ideas that offer any insight on the company hell bent on destroying you, I am either swiftly rejected, or flat out ignored entirely. I don’t think you quite understand the focused ferocity in which they’re trying to destroy you with.. With their resources and internal organization, and Dunkin Donuts’ ignorance and denial, there’s zero doubt they will succeed. Just trying to give you a chance. When it all goes tits up, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And last..

Quick question: How long should I wait until I contact the New Hampshire Board Of Labor about your inexplicable inability/ refusal to pay me in a timely fashion every week? It’s bad enough I’m expected to run a restaurant that grosses a hundred grand a month with little to no training for chump change.. Could you Junior Varsity Amateurs at least present me with said chump change on time?

Alas.. You apparently cannot.

I tried.. I really did. Every time I blink, it gets a little worse. Management for Dunkin Donuts/ Cafua Management has quite possibly been the most unpleasant work experience I have ever had.. And with that statement, I (semi)respectively submit my resignation. Effective immediately.

Best Of Luck,

Dave Furbush
President
Project MayHAM
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