I'm writing a bunch of these real-life experiences so you, dear reader, can understand what it's like to be me. I find that people who meet me, either online or offline, often get the wrong impression of what kind of a person I am and what makes me tick. And of course, it's different depending on how you come in contact with me, of course, and I'm far more articulate online than I am in meatspace. I find that my words are better typed than they are spoken, and some of that has to do with cognitive issues and communication issues, and some of it just plain old run of the mill anxiety (think about your high school experience and whether you ever had to give an oral report. Imagine that anxiety times 100 and yep, that's pretty much me when I'm trying to explain something).
So today, I'm going to tell you what it's like to be Autistic/disabled and work a low income job because of it.
I am a crew member with McDonalds. No, don't tell me how bad the food is for me. No, don't tell me that I'm just a cog in a machine and that a monkey can do my job. That isn't helpful at all, and I've heard it all already.
I actually enjoy my job, mostly. I know that there's no job security here, and I know that there's not a lot of room for error and I actually have to work quite hard for what most people would consider "easy".
I work in the drive thru cash register (referred to by employees as "back cash", because we're in the back of the restaurant). I've been working here for just over 6 months, and yes, I actually do love it. I like the routine, and I've never had a problem with my auditory processing issues if I have headphones on, so running the drive thru isn't really difficult on that end. Also, my interaction with people is minimal, and mostly, there's not a lot of noise that bothers me. I'm also fairly good at doing simple multitasking (doing something with my hands while I'm taking an order, for example).
So this works out. I have a few issues at work, and they do allow me to wear one ear plug on the ear that isn't covered by the ear piece so that any extra noise from inside the restaurant isn't overwhelming. I have to have someone help me with a specific task in the morning regarding the iced tea and coffee containers (it's a motor skill issue that includes inserting a tube into a very small hole and screwing on a nozzle). Basically, I don't receive a whole lot of accommodations, and the only issues I've had at work have been very small.
Until today.
Lately, they've been sending new hires to me to be trained. I'm just an hourly crew member. I make minimum wage and I'm not being paid to train, but what happens if I complain? Well, I could lose my job, working in a state where there is at-will employment. So as much as I would like to earn the extra money as a crew trainer, so far, I haven't pushed the matter because I want to keep my job and they do know that I'm doing fairly well in the position I'm in. So not upsetting the status quo.
Well, having said that, today they sent me a new hire and that was fine and I don't mind it (though I'd love a little warning because a 4 hour shift training a new employee requires a great deal more thought and energy than a 4 hour shift just running the cash register and taking orders). So I start training him, and he acts like a freaking know-it-all. Which happens with some people, and that wasn't what bothered me. Then he throws out comments about how a person is dressed, how fat they are, and how long they take to place their order. Then he throws out an "r" slur, and I finally have to say something. I don't even have the words to properly rebuke him for this comment (where he's laughing and saying "what a r****d"). So I simply tell him that isn't very nice. He, of course, like most people, respond with "I was just joking!!" and I, in turn, respond with an "I don't care if you were. That word is hurtful." It wasn't my best refutation, to be certain. But it's what I could do in the circumstances.
I just...I don't know what to do now. He's new, and he's relatively good at the job. I just need to probably sit down with one of my managers and ask what I should do next time. Because it was basically 3 1/2 hours of misogynistic, slut shaming, fatphobic, ableist comments, and I don't want to not work there anymore, because I need the job. But so many things about this experience were just not okay, and I can't sit completely idly by either.
I think you could probably talk with a manager. Pick the one that seems to like or appreciate you the best and tell that person that you are concerned that other customers could hear that kind of talk, which would be bad for business, and that also it kind of wears on you after a while. I think that if they don't care about what it does to YOU, they might care about what customers might say when they overhear it. That person probably can't control WHEN they say it so a slip is bound to happen and that's going to reflect badly on the manager (which you don't have to say; the manager will probably get that idea on their own).
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