The manager of an Olive Garden restaurant has reportedly been fired after sending employees a maniacal memo that warned they'd be out of work if they took time off over the Christmas period.
According to KCTV5 the manager from Kansas - who has remained anonymous - went viral for complaining that her staffers were taking time off work at a "staggering rate."
As well as threatening staff with losing their jobs if they phoned in sick, the manager also apparently asked them to prove if a pet died - by bringing the deceased animal in to show her.
The outlet managed to obtain the bizarre message, which began: "Our call-offs are occurring at a staggering rate. From now on, if you call off, you might as well go out and look for another job."
It continued: "We are no longer tolerating ANY excuse for calling off. If you're sick, you need to come prove it to us. If your dog died, you need to bring him in and prove it to us. If it's a 'family emergency' and you can't say, too bad."
In the note, the manager's tirade also adds that employees who only want morning shifts should "go work at a bank." She also warns that her employees will lose their job if they take time off work more than once during the next 30 days.
"Do you know in my 11.5 years at Darden how many days I called off? Zero. I came in sick. I got in a wreck literally on my to work one time, airbags went off and my car was totaled, but you know what, I made it to work, ON TIME! There are no more excuses," the manager continued, apparently praising her own work ethic.
Finally, she expressed her frustration at her employees' "complaints" and "excuses," writing: "No more complaining about not being cut or not being able to leave early. You're in the restaurant business. Do you think I want to be here until midnight on Friday and Saturday? No. I'd much rather be at home with my husband and dog, going to the movies or seeing family. But I don't, I'm dedicated to being here. As should you. No more excuses or complaints."
She ends by thanking the workers who come into the restaurant - whose slogan is "When you're here, you're family," per The Guardian - on time each day.
Representatives for the restaurant chain have since released a statement following the release of the harsh memo, saying: "We strive to provide a caring and respectful work environment for our team members. We can confirm we have parted ways with this manager." The spokesperson also added that the message was: "Not aligned with [the] company's values."
The wild memo went viral on Twitter, where it received tons of comments.
"How could a person right this and not once think: am I being unreasonable [sic]," someone wrote.
"I've been a [general manager] for years, still don't understand how managers can't grasp this. You fill in when your team is down. Someone on your team is sick, then grab an apron/register/whatever and get to work. Managers who are too good to do the work of their employees are not managers," another user rightfully said.
