Ah, college jobs. The time when we make the least money, get the least respect, but also, maybe have the most fun. Or, not…

Like in this story, when a college student flips burgers but has a nightmare boss. Although, it seems like maybe the student gets the last laugh.

Let’s find out why.

2 Week Suspension

When I was in college I had a job at a BBQ restaurant chain that was famous for sports and ribs.

I worked occasionally as an opener in the kitchen running the line. During summer months I loved opening shifts so I could have evenings free to hang out with friends.

Great gig. But is it too good to be true?

One morning I opened and proceeded to cook the lunch rush which wasn’t abnormal at all. Lots of burgers and chicken sandwiches.

We had a policy that lunch had to hit the table within 15 minutes so people would come in a sit down. I get it, they were trying to get more people in the doors.

The problem is people were ordering 1/2 pound burgers well done.

Uh-oh. First of all, I know there’s some judgment around a well-done burger. Second of all, that takes time, right?

Getting a well done 1/2 pound burger patty with zero pink in the middle is tough to do in 10-12 minutes without charring the outside on a gas broiler.

To help, I would often flip a small cast iron skillet over and dome the burger to help hold heat in without squishing or squeezing the burger.

Cool idea. Does it stick?

One the general manager saw that and freaked out. I showed him the skillet was clean and not squishing or touching the patty.

He said don’t do that anymore just “let it cook.”

Um, what?

As you can probably guess next up was slow tickets and 15-20 minute cook times for well done burgers. He lost his mind and told me to figure it out.

I explained I couldn’t alter physics and said let me use the skillet trick but again it was “no.” I did the only thing I could at that point.

Which is?

Squeeze the burger to flatten it out with the flipper to literally press the juice out and get rid of the pink. I knew it was total garbage but it’s all I had to work with.

All was going to schedule until he saw what I had to do to make it work. He said don’t squeeze them anymore.

I looked at him and said would you please show me how to do this your way within the time guidelines? He stepped up and failed miserably, to my delight.

Yeah, vindicating. But will the boss learn his lesson?

After that he continued to press and the well done burgers were always late. He was such a jerk that I would literally cheat with the skillet whenever I could.

Worked great until I got caught again. He screamed to take the skillet off and never use it again or he’d write me up. I said “ok” looked him dead in the eyes and squished the juice out of the burger.

He lost it.

Nope, sounds like he’s sticking to his stupid guns. Is OP gonna change his ways?

Completely lost it to the point of a screaming meltdown. He told me to go clock out and that I was suspended without pay for two weeks.

Little did he know that I was growing serious amounts of weed at the time and this was back when it was worth more than $4000 a pound.

I spent the next two weeks living a life of luxury.

I mean, why isn’t that your main gig, my man?

I went fishing every day, got an amazing suntan, went to the bars each night, rode my motorcycle, and spent time with my friends, ate at other restaurants, and generally enjoyed the whole experience.

When I returned to work one of the other managers told me the general manager was in a really bad mood again.

I was like “what now” apparently he’d been buying my weed from other employees not knowing it was mine and couldn’t find anything decent because I was gone for two weeks.

Passive income and passive revenge. Will the boss apologize to OP?

I never did tell him the weed came from me or offer any to him.

To my surprise he’d been cooking during the day and told me when I came back the skillet trick was fine and the only way he could keep up at lunch with burgers was to use the same trick.

He never apologized but that little victory gave me some satisfaction. That was my first ever two week vacation since I was a kid living with my parents.

Sounds like the boss didn’t learn, but OP came out on top anyway.

What do the comments have to say about this flipping flip out?

Someone says, these things are unrelated, but good job anyway.

This poster suggests communication.

Someone else says, it’s too late to say sorry.

Another person says it can pay to quit your job.

Sometimes it pays to take the *high* road.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.