Do or have workplace you see as toxic made you ill

[Amara 94]

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For me I’m certain that they have. I haven’t really had a headache for a long time but have one today. I recently started working at a new pub/restaurant 2 weeks ago as a kitchen porter. I’ve even messaged that I’m resigning and will resign tomorrow. I’ve only worked there two weeks. Although apparently it’s the only Michelin star pub in London I’ve found the dishwasher environment toxic. Firstly on an 8 hour shift from 4pm to 12:30am or later there are no breaks and no proper meal offered despite being a restaurant.

There is actual staff meal at 4pm. In my first week I ate down in the pub where the chefs and pub staff eat, pub opens around 5:30pm. I was told off for this apparently because I had just started but then I have found that there are no meal offered on my shift.

I also work a morning shift 10 to 5pm. Again no breaks offered. Staff meal is at 4pm but I’ve noticed me and the other kitchen porter are never invited. He eats upstairs so I assume we shouldn’t go downstairs to eat with the chefs. And no cutlery is upstairs, upstairs is only kitchen. So yesterday I asked the other kitchen porter about cutlery and there was none for us so he briefly rinsed a fork for me but I couldn’t eat with that as it didn’t seem clean. I was eating with my hands. It actually makes me feel like to eat is to walk on eggshells. In morning shifts I’m also a cleaner in the kitchen. Idk I’m asked to clean places that probably haven’t been cleaned in months yet yesterday the person telling me what to clean said I should clean a big shelf whilst they had staff meal and that I was wasting time. I don’t feel kitchen porters are appreciated at this job. Even if you are making Michelin star meals you can’t do your job well if your items aren’t cleaned for you. Every other dishwashing job I have worked at usually offers a meal and a space to eat.

In this job I’ve noticed we eat in the kitchen, no seats provided.


Before covid, I worked as a dishwasher in an office. As I was new to the job then I was slower and less efficient. I think I was overworked at that job though as the other dishwasher was good at washing plates but was a 57 year old woman so didn’t help bring any deliveries and pack them. She would always speak down on me such as I’m slow, I’m not smart. One time her and the head chef joked how they would never allow their daughters to date me. It’s a joke but sounds harsh worrying about it now. I think at that job luckily there were a few chefs, actually I’ve frequent chef, that was a temp that was really nice. At that job it was as if i I had IBS, I developed stomach aches, diarrhoea and an eyelid infection once which I hadn’t had prior to the job and since the job. Luckily covid closed that office and kitchen down as it was also ready for a redevelopment and I guess covid meant that that happened more quickly.

TLDR; I notice bad work environments seem to negatively affect my health in ways such as having stomach aches, more frequent headaches and sometimes seeming to be more I’ll more frequently.

This current job I’m quitting and I don’t think I will regret it.

[horseblanket]

My first place of work had a toxic environment, I can empathise (spelling)

The boss there literally hated cats and when my first cat got serious things going wrong inside her organs and we knew she only had hours left alive, I had to work that morning and was devastated knowing she was going to have to get euthanased as soon as I got home from work (she was way too timid for me to not be there with her, there was only a handful of people she wasn't afraid of), I still remember the boss saying she was glad my cat was dying

She was a horrible woman, that boss

[Dougella]

Legally you're supposed to have a 20 minute break for every 5 (or 6, i can't remember which) hours you work, so what they're doing to their staff there does not sound legal. I know those types of Michelin star type restaurants have a reputation for being harsh with their staff. I think you're doing the right thing resigning by the sounds of it.

[biscuits]

Everyone eats together and two members of staff aren't invited? I'd feel so uncomfortable sitting around eating knowing that two other people haven't been invited. No, that's just not nice at all. Good on you for leaving!

Do you think you'll try working in a different sector?

[Amara 94]

I don’t think I have the skills or confidence. I’m trying to learn my driving theory though so plan on getting a driving license if I commit to learning it.

The place isn’t the worst kitchen I’ve worked in, not everyone is bad, but it certainly also isn’t the best and I don’t want to be a chef so it doesn’t feel worth it to work in an environment like the current pub. Thinking about it, I will think more about it, I think my values don’t align with what working in a kitchen, that kitchen promotes. The few weeks where I was only working 2 days as I had taken a break from uni, I was running almost everyday and noticed it improved my leg balance noticeably. I feel I’m health conscious so care about feeling that my health is good or taking care of it. I don’t feel like most kitchens would match this value as overwork is promoted, not enough breaks, the chefs do double shifts about 10-12 hours a lot, healthy food isn’t promoted either. Also as a dishwasher I’m not fast handed I think but efficient. I organise stuff, try to pace with the dishwasher and it helps me work faster. As being organised can mean that I polish the same type of kitchen ware at the same time. I have a rhythm. I don’t feel most kitchens look at dishwashing in this way exactly, it’s more about going faster and faster, which can be good, but at certain times isn’t the most efficient because though you go fast I think it’s easy to not pace yourself through the dishwasher so it’s like you wash fast but because you put lots of stuff in the dishwasher that you have to polish there is also a long dwell time between what you put through the dishwasher and the job can be more exhausting.

[BFG_]

My workplace is a toxic dumping ground it should have government warnings on it. Hazardous to health. Do not enter risk of death. Doesn't make me ill any more I think I'm immune to it now.

[Amara 94]

Different things suit different folks, if your job matches with your values then it's a good thing as it works for you.

[humphrey]

My work place is not so bad, where I work there is only the two of us, and we both have forms of SA so it's not a problem to either of us.

The thing that gets me, is they keep doing things to say it is a great place to work, but staff turnover is sky high, that is when they actually can get the staff. They are so set on the big goal, they cannot see the little things that people notice when working for them are shit, hence people leave.

I am only hanging on for my pension now if I can mange another 6 years I will retire early and be gone.