The "Chew on This" chapter entitled, "McJobs", revolves around testimonies from real fast food employees. They complain of long hours, low pay, and no benefits. That is what defines a McJob. I myself had a McJob, and I would like to share a real testimony of what working at this kind of job is really like.
I worked at Quizno’s Subs for about two years.
I had a manager, about age 40, and then I worked with highschool and college students trying to earn money for college. No, we weren’t pursuing the field of serving food, and no we didn’t feel it was our calling, but it was a great way to earn some extra cash as we pursued our educations. McJobs make sense because they are the perfect environment for teen students to work in. My boss was flexible with my hours as I was involved in many activities, he offered after school and weekend work hours, and it was fair pay for the kind of work we were doing. At times my boss requested, not demanded as the book implies, to work late, come in early, or go the extra mile for the business. This is all a part of being an employee. We are employed to do the work that the company needs out of us. This is not mistreatment, instead it is a boss expecting a good WORK ETHIC out of his employee. There is nothing wrong with working hard and earning honest money. At the same time, testimonies in the book say that their employers took advantage of them and didn’t treat them fairly. It is important for teen workers to stand up for their rights. If you COMMUNICATE with your boss about having an exam in the morning or having homework to do, they will be FLEXIBLE and UNDERSTANDING with you. Many teens don’t speak up, and that is a lesson WE as teens need to learn. This is not something that a restaurant is doing wrong intentionally. Flexibility, understanding, communication, and a hard work ethic in both an employer and employee are keys to success in a business.
There you have it, a real testimony. This hasn’t been sugar coated for me to make a point, and it certainly isn’t biased to fit the needs of an inaccurate, fictional novel. It’s the real deal. Although I don’t plan to continue with customer service in fast food in the future, I am still grateful for the valuable lessons I learned, and I think these lessons are important for all teens to learn as they enter the work force.
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