You can tell them to look at the sky, but you can't make them see the light...

I suppose that's another way to say you can bring the camel to water, but you can't make him drink.  I'm talking about the behavior of restaurant staffs.  True, much of the unrest in our workforce comes down from the managers and owners, but as much as I'd love to blame it all on them I know it isn't entirely true.  Their behavior is allowed and exacerbated by their workers.

Take my last job, for example.  You remember Maggot and The Wind-Up Doll, don't you?  Well the way they treated their workers was appalling, but the fact is that it was permitted and inflamed by the staff themselves.  They were always pulling the Bitch-And-Hide.  I'm sure you know the phenomenon I'm
referring to.  All day, yak yak yak, moaning about everything that's unfair in the workplace - Jerky Boy is getting all the tables, etc - then acting like nothing is wrong when the higher-ups are around.  Instead they switch into "best friend" mode.  Is that the way to progress?  I think not!  And so I would say to them, "stand up for yourself!"  But no, they clammed right up and instead tried to buddy up with them, asking yours truly to do the talking.  Nice.  While it's true that I consider myself to be a strong person and a strong worker, I can't be everybody's go-between.  Nobody else wants to stick out their necks, but they'd love me to do it for them.  The thing is, I know they'd never back me up.  One moment of conflict, and they scatter like rats, and there I am, holding the proverbial bag.  Argh!  I'm trying to bring awareness to people, but I can only bring them so far if they don't want to help themselves.  If you can't stand up for yourself or for each other, how far do you really expect to get?  How will the managers become aware of the discontent if everybody acts like everything's hunky dory?  Hel-loooo, *knock-knock!* 

But no.  They'd rather just complain about it, and then in the next breath buddy up with Maggot or the Dolly, trying to be best friends.  Is it easier to just try and get on their good side, hoping they will begin to treat you well?  I suppose it may look that way to some, but is it right?  Sigh.  If I were Weird Al or Cee Lo Green I'd write a hilariously ironic song about this...