I had a job this summer. For 30 days, I was an English-speaking waitress who worked in a buffet restaurant on the island of Sardinia, Italy. Here are the reasons I quit my job.
Top 13 Reasons I Quit the Italian Job
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13. Being belittled by an angry co-worker in front of 10 other co-workers because I forgot a cappuccino, on my second shift.
12. Being docked €5.00 a day to eat prepared meals in the staff dining-lounge, even if you choose not to eat with your angry co-worker(s).
11. The corns and calluses were growing on my feet faster than a speeding jet.
10. Working for 5 hours then sleeping for 5 hours – rinse and repeat twice a day, is no easy lifestyle.
9. Losing 12 pounds off my bones in 21 days is a sickly sight. And I ate like a horse – which is pretty usual for me.
8. Finding out that my co-workers’ rent is paid for the 5-6 six months of employment was utterly shocking! No one offered to pay my mortgage – why?
7. Seeing co-workers bringing in their laundry to be laundered by the hotel – for free. (My laundry basket runneth over.)
6. Button down shirts with a fancy necktie and long black pants should be banned, anywhere where the temperature rests on boiling.
5. Working 4.5 hours on a scheduled day off – is not a day off.
4. No over-time pay – say what?!
3. Management asking for English translations on all menus – without pay!
2. Being told to speak only in English when conversing with co-workers. Wait a minute – I thought I was in Italy, the only Italian speaking country in the world. Hey Dorothy – can I borrow your sparkly red shoes?
1. Working 4.5 hours in the morning + 4.5 hours in the evening = does not equal the 6.4 hours which is clearly stated in my contract.
Related articles:
The Raw Reality of Expat Life in Small Town Sardinia
My Expat Job Struggles | Sardinia, Italy
My Sardinian Life 