"AITA for denying my coworker lunch?"
So I've been a chef for around 4 years now, working in a lot of different environments. About 6 months ago I started in my current job, which is a private "restaurant" for a senior apartment complex. I'm the only chef working there 100%. Other chefs only come in when I have a day off.
We serve a lunch menu between 12.00 and 13.00 and a 2-course dinner at 17.00. I start at 10.00 and finish at 18.00 so I'm pretty busy all day between prepping, serving lunch, cleaning, ordering, taking deliveries, dinner and closing down.
One of my coworkers, who's in charge of marketing, has been asking for staff food after lunch hours are finished. I always serve staff food for everyone who orders, given they order either before or during the lunch service.
3 days ago she asked for a cinnamon bun, which was the dessert for the dinner that day. I told her no, and explained that I only make the amount needed for the guests. But that she could have one after dinner service, if there were any left. She said she "only wants one if she can have it now" and pretty much left it at that.
Yesterday she came one hour after lunch and asked for a couple slices of bread and some salad. I told her no, because all the bread I had was frozen at the time. She then asked for a croissant, to which I informed her that all of them were sold during lunch. She proceeded to go home for the rest of the day after telling another coworker that she "can't get any food here."
Then today she comes into the kitchen 5 minutes after lunch, while I'm running to clean up everything so I can start on the rest of the prep before dinner. She starts "I'll have some eggs and bacon" I tell her "sorry but lunch is over for today."
She raises her voice at me and says "do you have something against me?!" Still running to clean up, and pretty shocked I say "against you? No? I've been doing lunch for the last hour?"
She proceeds to angrily walk up to the manager and tell her about how I'm denying her lunch. Manager says I should he flexible and look for solutions instead of denying requests.
I probably could've toasted some bread to defrost it on the second occurrence but I'd already worked my butt off that day and didn't want to fix problems for people who can't follow lunch times. So am I the ahole?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
OrdinaryMajestic4686 said:
NTA. I think she might need some written rules she can stick to and try to get stuff. She's been winging it and I don't think she truly knows and understand when it's appropriate to stop by and when it is not.
2300abar said:
Have you communicated to her why you’re saying no and if she was during allotted hours the answer would be yes or is there something in her role that makes it so she is unable to come during the stated hours? If the answer is yes and no respectively, then NTA.
Middlezynski said:
ESH. She didn’t have to jump straight to hostility and complaining to the manager, and I don’t know what’s going on with you that you won’t just tell this woman that she needs to order before or during service. You’re perpetuating the conflict by failing to be clear and it would literally take you 10 seconds to say it.
Blankenhoff said:
Why don't you just tell her that employee meals at between whatever times they are and that she has to come in that time frame to get food. I mean...NTA, but you do seem more combative than you need to be.
SomeCallMeMahm said:
NTA. You're not a short order cook. She can get her order in on time or pack a lunch at home. And NEVER at the expense of the residents.
Ordinary-Audience363 said:
NTA. She strikes me as the "give her an inch and she'll take a mile" type of person so I wouldn’t even give her toast. She's being disrespectful of your time and work.