I recently started a job at a local restaurant chain after leaving a toxic retail position, but my excitement quickly turned into frustration. The onboarding process was chaotic; I had issues with my paperwork that led the manager to think I ghosted them, despite us having scheduled an orientation. Once I finally started, I was thrown into a hectic environment with broken AC and constant station changes, which made it hard to keep up with orders. During my first few weeks, I completed my Food Handler's Permit, but the training and practices at the restaurant were alarming. I witnessed a manager instructing me to reuse uncooked chicken on a salad that had already been sent back, which is a clear case of cross-contamination. To make matters worse, none of the produce was washed before prep, and I even spotted a roach in the kitchen, which was a major red flag for me. My schedule has also been inconsistent; after a couple of weeks of decent hours, I was suddenly scheduled for only one day in my fifth week. The supervisor even suggested I take on more hours at a different location that I can't reach due to transportation issues, which felt completely unreasonable. To top it off, I found out they were asking other potential employees for jobs despite claiming they didn’t have enough hours to offer me. It's been a frustrating experience, and I’m seriously considering my options moving forward.