Whataburger LLC A Word of Warning, when considering employment options San Antonio, Texas

The prestigious Whataburger (specifically Unit #83, Weber + SPID) of which I have worked at since mid-late '08 and am currently a "Team Leader" (assistant manager) and have been for closing in on a year now, is an atrocious business to work under. I would like to offer a word of warning to ANYONE and everyone who is seeking employment, and considering employment with this company.

I will get right into the issues I have that I think if you experienced, you would be put-off too. While I do not understand what is the "norm" for a business (my only other job was extremely kind to it's associates), Whataburger corporate and management associates over-regulate, over-react, are incredibly money-grubbing, and act as though they are not allowed to judge a situation. Your working experience, whether you wish to be a worker or go onto management positions, will be oppressive, unfair, over-taxing, and not rewarding.

In my experience and from my own point-of-view--
Oppressive: You will not be listened to. Whether you talk to the manager, store manager, or higher-ups on any level, that Bun Toaster or leaking faucet will not be addressed. Your working conditions will be falling apart around you and you will have to cope with it rather than having someone fix it anytime soon, even if alternate actions are dangerous (I.E. removing scalding oil from a fryer with a metal container [grease pump broke 6 months ago] bare-handed [gloves were lost 2 months ago]). And if you don't, you're documented.

Unfair: You will have to sometimes work 56 hours a week, you will sometimes have to work 20 hours a week (when you were assured a full-time 40-hour week). You will have to come in with hours notice, you will be forced to stay 4-hours late when someone calls in sick, you will have your entire schedule moved around and not be told about it. You will have to do jobs outside your job description by a fair margin (assistant managers should not have to run a full dinner shift). And for all of those, if you don't, you're documented.

Over-Taxing: You will be scheduled for 12-hour shifts sometimes, and will be called in to work a double-shift with hours notice. I've seen pregnant women have to carry 50-lb. fry boxes, I've seen a worker have to work 4 different major positions in a rush. You will be documented for doing the right thing, or following exact company policy, if anything happens at all. You will be chastised and have hours cut if you try to assert state worker's rights (such as refusing to stay past your scheduled hours or refused to be sent home early to reduce labor costs). And yes, you will be documented for not complying.

Unrewarding: Pay is as cheap as possible (minimum wage) and they will not give you ANY raises unless you hound them to hell for it, even mandated ones. Company healthcare plans are too expensive for your pay (I know I can't afford it) for reasonable coverage. You will not be praised for your regular work, you will not be praised for going above and beyond your call to duty (though originality is regularly scolded), you will not be praised [by management] for excellent customer service. You will be forced to do things against company policy by management, and then if corporate associates happen to catch you you will be chastised personally. And.....documented.

I believe Whataburger is out of control with employee disrespect, that is why I am typing up this report. Hopefully, this will seriously dissuade a good amount of respectable people from choosing Whataburger and this report and impact will cause them to force to change. Thank you for reading this report.

P.S. I believe I am a very-hard worker, I always come in 5 minutes early at least (and am never ever late), and I do not stop working until my break (if I get one). This is not the exasperated rants of a slacker, I assure you.