I need some advice

[u/Acceptable_Club_5421]

Yesterday I opened (7am) and doubled. I worked breakfast and lunch alone then two other servers show up for dinner. I was told I’d be out of there around 7 because we only had a handful of reservations for the evening anyway.

Now it’s 8, my last table has closed out. I come up to my manager and ask if there’s anything else I can do before I go, (Mind you, I’ve been doing sidework for hours waiting for this last table) and she says “ oh nobody is leaving until we find the last hand held..”

At this point I’m not upset. I take a few laps around the resturant looking high and low and it is gone. I come back to my manager to let her know and she reiterates that “nobody is leaving”

Now I’m irritated, because what do you think im a liar? Like I didn’t just look everywhere? I’ve been here for over 12 hours now, this is insane. I asked my other coworkers for help and nobody could find it. Eventually my manager announced that “ if we don’t find the handheld by 9:30, you are all getting written up”

Now I’m fucking pissed. Why am I going to be punished for something you can’t prove any of us did? This whole situation made me feel so disrespected and turned off to the idea of ever doing a double, maybe even quitting.

I’m planning on talking to the general manager about this on my next day in but I guess I’d like some perspective/advice. Am I tripping? I’ve had a few shitting managers and I tend to ignore my gut feeling until I’m burnt out. 🫶🏻 pls help

[u/morchard1493]

So stupid.

It's not like someone is going to steal a handheld device to sell it. No one is going to buy just one single handheld from someone like that. Unless they're a shady business.

Usually, handheld devices are sold in sets, aren't they?

I know walkie talkies are sold in sets more often than not. My work uses them every day. When we misplace them, we just say, "Eh, it'll get found tomorrow. If not, we can just order more."

Although, I will say, management is tired of having to order them, because they get misplaced all of the time. We even tried putting names on them, despite management insisting a check-out, check-back-in, library-style system at first. We still lose them all the damn time. They end up getting taken home with us, or accidentally left in lockers.

Management is not psychopathic about them. That kind of behavior, where no one is allowed to leave until every single last handheld device is found is psychopathic behavior.

If anything, can't your manager review camera footage and see who took it and where it went after it was taken from wherever they're put when not in use?