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Abstract

h2 id="46c8">A cool rejection</h2><p id="d55a">With butterflies in my stomach, I made the call to Arturo’s Restaurant precisely at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning as instructed.</p><p id="b16b">When he answered the phone, his tone was not welcoming, and I could sense that the news wasn’t going to be good. He informed me that the job had already been filled and coolly added “Good luck.”</p><p id="41a0">I felt disappointed, disheartened, and quite foolish, yet I still asked him to keep me in mind for any future opportunities, reminding him that I lived just ten minutes away from the restaurant.</p><p id="c90b">I might have sounded a bit desperate, but Arturo simply replied, “Sure!” and hung up.</p><p id="be9a">After the call, I couldn’t help but feel deflated as I tried to relive every minute of my day with him, anxiously trying to understand what had gone wrong. As someone better than I was hired, or so he said, there was no more to be done.</p><p id="3c07"><i>Maybe he’ll call me back for a day here or there if he gets backed up, </i>I thought to myself, but I never heard from him again.</p><p id="e99e">A few weeks later, while attending one of my culinary classes, my teacher mentioned the job opportunities listed on the college website and advised us to keep watching for updates.</p><p id="923e"><i>One of my fellow students spoke up and shared a similar experience to mine.</i></p><p id="6cb3">He had also done a one-day trial at Arturo’s Restaurant, was told he did exceptionally well, and felt confident he would be hired based on Arturo’s commendations and enthusiasm, the way he acted with me.</p><p id="08e7">However, when the student called the restaurant a few days later, he, too, was informed in a very cool manner that the position had already been filled.</p><p id="7607">At that point, two other students chimed in, sharing similar stories and expectations from the very same restaurant owner.</p><p id="ee5b">They all agreed that they worked hard, had been asked to stay longer than the original eight-hour shift, and were told they did well and were possibly obtaining the job, but none of them were hired.</p><h2 id="73ec">Nothing illegal just unethical</h2><p id="ee55">The teacher responded with, “There’s nothing illegal in what he’s doing, and he’s within his right to offer a one-day trial with the promise of possible employment, and then not hiring anyone.”</p><p id="d56e">Then she added, “It borders on being unethical, but unfortunately it’s done all the time, and you are also within your rights to ask to be paid the minimum wage for the day.”</p><p id="af9f">I didn’t know that, and neither did the other students in my class. That’s too bad — I could have at least made some money for the hard day’s work I put in.</p><p id="8435">Apparently, with costs being what they are, other restaurants are likely to look for free labor with such tactics, to

Options

o, easily finding willing students like me to fill in the gap.</p><p id="f9a5">The following day, upon checking the job openings online, it was evident the same job opening was still available at Arturo’s, with the potential of a permanent position, and still not mentioning his one-day trial.</p><p id="7f10"><b>It was one thing to learn I didn’t get the job, but discovering there was never a job opening to begin with, and no chance of being considered because it was a ruse on his part, was another to procure a never-ending pool of free labor.</b></p><p id="2312">I learned a valuable lesson from the experience and resolved to avoid such pitfalls in the future.</p><p id="aa9c">Had I been informed of my options beforehand, I would have discussed a day’s pay with Arturo or not put myself in that position.</p><h2 id="6857">Paying jobs</h2><p id="d663">Over the next five years, I was to work at a sandwich shop that catered weddings and parties, a breakfast cook at a popular hotel, and then a baker. I learned a great deal from these employers and never felt taken advantage of again.</p><p id="43cf" type="7">The experience left me wondering — how many others were before me and how many will come after, and there’s not much we can do about it but be aware that this type of thing exists.</p><p id="d1ba">American writer</p><p id="9a4c"><b><i>Thanks so much for reading. If you enjoyed my story, here are a couple more you may like. <a href="https://medium.com/@veralake7799/subscribe">To be added to my mailing list, click here</a>. Feel free to reply to any of my stories. Happy reading!</i></b></p><div id="dada" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/finding-humor-in-an-otherwise-serious-situation-e100af953b"> <div> <div> <h2>Real Guru Visited My Studio for a One-Time Yoga Class</h2> <div><h3>But I couldn’t sit still and stop my giggling</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*p6PqcjA8-ImsL3Mu-sPlNQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="54ff" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/abandoning-my-car-while-coming-back-from-a-ski-trip-76b5e7739e2a"> <div> <div> <h2>Ski Trip on Freezing Night Ends with My Car Blowing Up</h2> <div><h3>I should have fixed it before using it that night</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*FhWv3g0YKGsjYdh0DaUhxw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Creative Non-Fiction | Exploitation | Short Story

Culinary Students Beware of Being Lured in as Free Labor

Something they did not teach us in college

As a culinary student attending a local community college, I frequently checked the bulletin board for part-time and full-time job opportunities available to students. As graduation approached, I searched for jobs close to home hoping to start immediately.

A job possibility

On the college’s website, I found an opening at Arturo’s Restaurant, which happened to be just ten minutes away from my residence. Arturo, the restaurant’s owner, interviewed me first before setting up my one-day trial, which had not been mentioned in the ad.

He proved to be a very welcoming and amiable person and gave me a tour of the premises on my trial day, explaining that everything was made in-house, including a variety of sodas.

Arturo also pointed out that employees have access to a free lunch every day, which I was invited to on the one day I worked. Lunch was an amazing assortment of leftovers from the night before. I already felt like part of the team.

The trial day at Arturo’s Restaurant was undeniably demanding. The kitchen was a flurry of activity, and I felt energized and excited over using equipment I had never even seen before.

Every task they demanded of me, from garbage disposal to peeling onions, I did professionally without complaining and gave my best. This would have been a perfect place to work and grow.

Extra hours

As my day was coming to a close, Arturo approached me with a request to stay a few extra hours due to an upcoming party that evening. Eager to make a good impression, I agreed, extending my workday to a grueling ten hours.

After passing the interview, and being asked to work longer hours, I felt I had a good chance of acquiring a position. Why else would he ask me to stay later?

When the day was over, Arturo pulled me aside and expressed his satisfaction with my work, letting me know that I was certainly being considered for the position.

He commended me on my outstanding performance and instructed me to call him promptly at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

I felt overjoyed and already began envisioning myself working there. I couldn’t wait for Wednesday morning to arrive.

A cool rejection

With butterflies in my stomach, I made the call to Arturo’s Restaurant precisely at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning as instructed.

When he answered the phone, his tone was not welcoming, and I could sense that the news wasn’t going to be good. He informed me that the job had already been filled and coolly added “Good luck.”

I felt disappointed, disheartened, and quite foolish, yet I still asked him to keep me in mind for any future opportunities, reminding him that I lived just ten minutes away from the restaurant.

I might have sounded a bit desperate, but Arturo simply replied, “Sure!” and hung up.

After the call, I couldn’t help but feel deflated as I tried to relive every minute of my day with him, anxiously trying to understand what had gone wrong. As someone better than I was hired, or so he said, there was no more to be done.

Maybe he’ll call me back for a day here or there if he gets backed up, I thought to myself, but I never heard from him again.

A few weeks later, while attending one of my culinary classes, my teacher mentioned the job opportunities listed on the college website and advised us to keep watching for updates.

One of my fellow students spoke up and shared a similar experience to mine.

He had also done a one-day trial at Arturo’s Restaurant, was told he did exceptionally well, and felt confident he would be hired based on Arturo’s commendations and enthusiasm, the way he acted with me.

However, when the student called the restaurant a few days later, he, too, was informed in a very cool manner that the position had already been filled.

At that point, two other students chimed in, sharing similar stories and expectations from the very same restaurant owner.

They all agreed that they worked hard, had been asked to stay longer than the original eight-hour shift, and were told they did well and were possibly obtaining the job, but none of them were hired.

Nothing illegal just unethical

The teacher responded with, “There’s nothing illegal in what he’s doing, and he’s within his right to offer a one-day trial with the promise of possible employment, and then not hiring anyone.”

Then she added, “It borders on being unethical, but unfortunately it’s done all the time, and you are also within your rights to ask to be paid the minimum wage for the day.”

I didn’t know that, and neither did the other students in my class. That’s too bad — I could have at least made some money for the hard day’s work I put in.

Apparently, with costs being what they are, other restaurants are likely to look for free labor with such tactics, too, easily finding willing students like me to fill in the gap.

The following day, upon checking the job openings online, it was evident the same job opening was still available at Arturo’s, with the potential of a permanent position, and still not mentioning his one-day trial.

It was one thing to learn I didn’t get the job, but discovering there was never a job opening to begin with, and no chance of being considered because it was a ruse on his part, was another to procure a never-ending pool of free labor.

I learned a valuable lesson from the experience and resolved to avoid such pitfalls in the future.

Had I been informed of my options beforehand, I would have discussed a day’s pay with Arturo or not put myself in that position.

Paying jobs

Over the next five years, I was to work at a sandwich shop that catered weddings and parties, a breakfast cook at a popular hotel, and then a baker. I learned a great deal from these employers and never felt taken advantage of again.

The experience left me wondering — how many others were before me and how many will come after, and there’s not much we can do about it but be aware that this type of thing exists.

American writer

Thanks so much for reading. If you enjoyed my story, here are a couple more you may like. To be added to my mailing list, click here. Feel free to reply to any of my stories. Happy reading!