May 9, 2026 at 6:15 am

The Shift That Wouldn’t End: How One Fast Food Worker Survived 13 Hours Completely Alone

by Heather Hall

A person holding a burger

Pixabay

Being overworked is one thing, but being left completely on your own is another.

So, what would you do if you were scheduled to work as the only cashier and ended up working a 13-hour shift alone with no manager around and no chance to take a break? Would you quit and find a new job? Or would you stick around and turn them into the officials?

In the following story, one fast food worker is considering the latter. Here’s what’s going on.

My fast-casual restaurant cashier job made me work alone for 13 hours straight today with no break

I work at a sort of fast-food place in MA.

Due to the low cost of business, only one person works as the cashier for a shift, with two cooks, and no one else — no manager, no head chef, usually.

Generally, the shifts are six hours. Business is slow and only two people work as cashiers every day, sometimes a manager never comes in at all.

He has an important question.

I sometimes work doubles, and usually a manager will come in for an hour to give me a break in the middle of the day.

Today, one of my managers said it was her day off, she couldn’t come in, and to ask the other one.

She never responded to my texts. At the end of the day, I clocked 13 hours with essentially no break, as I had to keep an eye on the front of the restaurant all day. Can OSHA get me a ton of money or something like that so I can quit?

Wow. This sounds like a terrible workplace.

Let’s see if the readers over at Reddit have any knowledge on the topic.

For this person, turning them in will lead to change.

Overworked 3 The Shift That Wouldnt End: How One Fast Food Worker Survived 13 Hours Completely Alone

Here’s the law in MA.

Overworked 2 The Shift That Wouldnt End: How One Fast Food Worker Survived 13 Hours Completely Alone

According to this comment, he should find a new job.

Overworked 1 The Shift That Wouldnt End: How One Fast Food Worker Survived 13 Hours Completely Alone

While he probably won’t get rich, this reader thinks he may get a little.

Overworked The Shift That Wouldnt End: How One Fast Food Worker Survived 13 Hours Completely Alone

He should report them and find a new job, because that’s not sustainable for long.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a woman whose manager was fired after forcing her to work 24 hours straight.

Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and LinkedIn.