Working a job is rarely a dream come true, but it can become downright miserable when the workplace turns into a pressure cooker of competition. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Reddit user AdorationDeLaLiberte claims they’re facing. In a recent post, the user shared that their café job in Seattle, Washington, has taken a sharp downturn after the owner implemented a system that pits employees against each other.
“I work in a cafe within the city that has been going through a few difficult changes, and I’ve noticed the atmosphere becoming more hostile,” the user wrote. Over the past few weeks, they and their coworkers have been forced to compete for shifts, with management rewarding faster workers with more hours. “It’s really killing the vibe,” they added.
Attached to the post was a photo of a whiteboard where the Seattle café owner allegedly listed performance goals and outlined how employees would be evaluated, fueling concerns about an increasingly toxic and competitive workplace culture.
The whiteboard is divided into three sections: Latte Temps, Spoons, and Closing. At first glance, the notes might seem harmless, just typical workplace reminders. But a closer read reveals a more troubling undertone.
Closing
- We need to be getting out faster from our closes
- To encourage this, [Redacted] and I will be tracking our closing times with the people working each night
- Those who generally close quickly & well will get more hours
- Those who generally close late will lose hours
- Do your best & get more hours!
The way the messages are framed gives the impression that the owner expects Seattle café employees to meet specific standards and quotas or risk being seen as less capable than their coworkers. The underlying pressure to perform is not just about doing a good job, it’s about fostering competition and creating a clear divide among the staff.
The most common piece of advice Redditors offered to AdorationDeLaLiberte was simple: leave the job. “Get a new job. Pronto,” one commenter urged. Others focused on the whiteboard notes shown in the post, criticizing them as unrealistic and unfair.
“Not really on topic, but if you have to put your spoons through three times and still wipe them to get spots off, that’s a dishwasher problem. Maybe the manager should focus on managing the store and get a maintenance person out to check the dishwasher,” another user pointed out.
Some Reddit users shared their own experiences, warning AdorationDeLaLiberte that staying at the Seattle café would likely lead to further exploitation. “Find another job. I was a victim of a similar situation. The winners just get more exploited,” one commenter wrote. Others compared the cafe’s new system to something out of The Hunger Games. “Hunger Games, literally. Win your challenge or starve,” another Redditor remarked.
