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MidReal Story
The Boss's Playgirl
Scenario:I (18F) work part-time at a small grocery store. One of the full-timers (let’s call him Dave) is lazy as hell. Leaves carts everywhere, skips facing shelves, dumps all his tasks on others. Every time I politely asked him to finish something he was supposed to do, he’d just go:
“If you don’t like how I do things, do it yourself.”
So I did.
For two weeks straight, I did everything. I organized the backroom, cleaned his section, finished his carts, stocked for him. Quietly, no complaints. Management noticed and pulled me into the office.
They said they were impressed and asked if I wanted more hours and responsibility. Dave? Got moved to carts full-time and isn’t allowed behind the register anymore.
Guess I’m doing it myself now. With a raise. :)
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Jasmine
She is a parttime employee at a small grocery store. She is hardworking,determined,and assertive. Jasmine grew up learning to cook from her grandmother and works multiple shifts to support her family. She faces a challenging work environment where the lazy colleague Dave consistently shirk his duties. Despite his hostility,she takes the initiative to complete his tasks efficiently. Management notices her hard work and offers her more responsibility and a raise. Jasmine eagerly accepts,feeling empowered by her newfound recognition.
Dave
He is a fulltime employee at a small grocery store. He is lazy,confrontational,and irresponsible. Dave often leaves his work unfinished,shifting the burden to his colleagues,especially Jasmine. He resents her for pointing out his shortcomings and becomes hostile towards her. Despite being moved to cart duty due to his behavior,he continues to complain and shows no willingness to improve or take on more responsibility. His antagonistic actions drive Jasmine to excel in her work,ultimately leading to her promotion and raise.
Management
They represent the supervisors at the small grocery store. They are observant,supportive,and encouraging. Management notices Jasmine's exceptional work ethic and dedication despite the challenging environment created by Dave's laziness. They appreciate her initiative and efficiency. In recognition of her hard work and commitment,Management offers Jasmine more responsibilities and a salary increase. This decision serves as a catalyst for Jasmine's personal growth and career advancement in the company.
I work at a small grocery store, part-time.
One of the full-timers there is lazy as hell.
Dave is his name.
He works in my department, which is dry goods.
I’m not sure what his job description is, or entails, because he doesn’t do much of anything.
He leaves his carts in the aisles, doesn’t face shelves, and when it’s time to stock shelves, he disappears.
When I asked him to finish his half-done tasks, he told me: "If you don’t like how I do things, do it yourself."
So I did.
For two weeks straight, I did everything.
I organized the backroom, cleaned his section, finished his carts, stocked for him… quietly, no complaints.
I figured it would be best if I just did the work myself rather than have him mess it up and then have to redo it myself.
I figured it was better for the store and for my own sanity that way.
Apparently, management noticed and appreciated my hard work and initiative.
They pulled me into the office yesterday and told me they were impressed with my work ethic and initiative.
They asked me if I wanted more hours and responsibility.
I said yes, and they said they would give me a raise and let me decide what else they could give me in terms of responsibility.
Dave got moved to carts full-time and isn’t allowed behind the register anymore.
I walk into the break room early Monday morning.
Management has called a department meeting before the store opens.
The fluorescent lights flicker on as everyone files in.
Dave slouches in last, arms crossed and glaring at the floor.
Our supervisor walks in with a stack of papers and begins handing them out.
I take mine and notice it says "Team Lead" at the top of the page.
I glance up to see Dave staring at his paper, then glare at me.
His says cart collection schedule, and lists times for him to collect carts from the parking lot.
I stand up and suggest we create a fair system for dividing up the daily tasks so that everyone gets a chance to do everything.
Some people nod in agreement, while others avoid eye contact or look at the floor.
Dave snorts and mutters under his breath, but doesn’t say anything else.
I pull out my notebook during lunch break and start sketching a draft schedule grid.
Each column represents a different task: register duty, restocking, inventory checks, and cart collection.
I map out a rotation where each team member switches tasks every week, so that no one gets stuck doing the same thing all the time and everyone gets a chance to learn each role.
As I work, I glance up occasionally to see Dave struggling to push a long line of carts through the rain.
He catches me watching him and deliberately rams the last cart into the collection bay.
I add his name to the schedule anyway, figuring he can take over register duty next month once his probation is over.
I gather everyone in the break room again before our shifts start, standing at the front with a stack of colorful flyers.
"Okay everyone, listen up! As you all know, we’re introducing a new ‘Team Player of the Month’ program. The winner gets a $50 gift card and first pick of holiday shifts."
Some people lean forward in their chairs, looking interested.
Others, like Dave who’s still dripping wet from cart duty, slump back and cross their arms.
"To win, you earn points by completing your tasks on time, helping out other team members when they need it, and getting positive feedback from customers. We’ll track everything on a scoreboard here in the break room."
I hold up one of the flyers to show them.
"We’ll also be implementing a rotating schedule so everyone gets a chance to try different jobs. This way we can all learn from each other and make sure no one gets bored doing the same thing every day."
Dave lets out a loud scoff from the back of the room.
I ignore him and keep talking.
"Each month, we’ll have a drawing for the winner. And if you win three months in a row, you get a permanent bonus!"
Dave finally speaks up, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"So, what’s next? A gold star for showing up on time?"
I meet his gaze, determined to stay calm. "Actually, Dave, it's about recognizing effort and teamwork, something we all need to work on."
After the meeting, everyone heads out to start their shifts except me.
I stay behind to post the new schedule on the break room bulletin board and make sure everything is in order.
As I’m tacking up the last flyer, I glance out the window and see Dave struggling with a line of carts in the drizzling rain.
He’s pushing them so hard that they keep jamming together, making his job even harder than it needs to be.
I sigh and grab my raincoat, deciding to go help him out.
When I get outside, he’s still wrestling with the carts.
I walk up behind him and tap him on the shoulder.
"Hey, let me show you a trick."
He glares at me over his shoulder but doesn’t say anything.
I move around to stand beside him and demonstrate how to link the carts together smoothly so they don’t jam.
He ignores me at first, but then a customer comes walking up with a stray cart in hand.
Dave looks at me for a second before copying my technique.
The cart slides into place perfectly. He doesn’t thank me or even look my way, but I can see his shoulders relax just a little bit.
I watch Lisa hurry across the wet parking lot in her bright yellow raincoat, waving at us.
Dave tenses up again, probably expecting more criticism, but Lisa just grabs a loose cart and starts linking it to the others using the same technique I showed Dave.
The three of us work together in silence for a few minutes, developing a rhythm.
Lisa gathers stray carts from around the parking lot, Dave connects them to the line, and I guide the train to the collection bay.
The rain drums steadily against our coats, but we keep moving.
When we finally get a particularly long line of carts into place without any jams, Lisa gives Dave an approving nod.
He doesn’t smile, but his movements become more deliberate, focused.
Lisa breaks the silence, her voice light but firm. "You know, Dave, you’re not as hopeless as you think." Dave glances at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
I review the monthly performance reports at my desk, sipping a cup of lukewarm coffee.
My eyes scan the pages, comparing numbers and notes from previous months.
One name stands out: Dave.
Before his cart duty reassignment, his records show a steady stream of complaints about tardiness and unhelpfulness.
But since taking over cart collection, his efficiency has improved by 40%.
Multiple customers have praised him for being helpful and courteous.
The incident reports about damaged carts have dropped to zero.
I flip to the Team Player points chart, where I’ve been tracking everyone’s progress.
Dave’s name is near the top, with a surprising number of points accumulated for helping out other team members and receiving positive feedback from customers.
He’s definitely earned enough points to be considered for the Team Player of the Month award.
I pull out the nomination form and fill it out, detailing Dave’s progress and improved attitude.
While he still rarely speaks to me directly, his actions speak louder than words.