Toxic work environments can be a cruel place to be for teenage workers in minimum-wage roles, especially ones that are being taken advantage of, like a 16-year-old girl at a Subway in Ohio. One of her coworkers, who goes by Throwawaycesspool1 on Reddit, posted to r/jobs that their manager allegedly forced employees to fix short drawers in the cash register with their own money. “This is the end-of-day drawer shorts by the way, so it could be anyone, not just her,” OP wrote.
On top of that, Throwawaycesspool1 claims this 16-year-old is being bullied at work, as the Subway is apparently a “very toxic environment” to work in. They brought this to Reddit to ask whether this kind of cash-shortage responsibility for minimum-wage workers, including a teenager, is legal, and commenters seemed quite firm in their stance.
Reddit Collectively Agreed That the Ohio Manager Was in the Wrong
“Not even close to legal,” remarked a user, adding that an employer could fire a worker if a drawer is short, but it’s unlawful for them to demand that said worker pay it themselves. “Wage theft is the most common property crime in the US. This is absolutely illegal,” says another Redditor.
Other commenters point out how it could be a lose-lose situation for the co-worker, either way. “Keep in mind your coworker will probably get their hours strictly reduced, which would suck, but could also lead to another lawsuit,” they wrote, referring to if OP chooses to report the situation.
Fortunately for the girl, Throwawaycesspool1 would seem to feel fit to play hero for her. “I’m not letting some poor 16 year old deal w this,” they wrote in the comments. They continued on what they plan to tell their manager: “I sent her a message telling her I’m figuring it out and to NOT pay that. I’ll be the bad guy for her, I don’t care about this stupid toxic job.”
While OP has yet to update their situation on whether they or their co-workers have kept their jobs, they allegedly have held fast to their dignity in all this. As one person told them, “The world needs more people like you.” Truly, more kindhearted co-workers looking for each other is certainly something that would make the world a better place.
