There will be two types of advice here…and it’s hard to tell which is appropriate for your situation, so I’m gonna list both and let you pick.
First kind of advice will be…welcome to the real world. Coworkers can be a pain, and it’s up to you to let things roll off and get along with people from all walks. It’s part of the job, and no one likes a complainer. Work hard, improve, and they’ll have more respect for you. If you need the job, toughen up, and keep it.
Here’s the other advice… restaurant jobs are a dime a dozen. If you don’t feel respected and you truly don’t think it’s your fault…and your treatment borders on abuse…just quit. It’s not worth it in the long run. Sure, you’ll have thrown away a work reference, but so what? It’s a restaurant job. You can get a new one within a week or two (don’t mention the old one) and no one’s any the wiser. Might be smarter to line up a new job before you quit your old one, but we all have limits. Some places are not worth it…and food service often falls into that category.
That said…here’s my personal advice.
- Never be rude to your coworkers for any reason. Not for attention, not because you feel slighted. Leave that middle school crap in middle school. jAlways behave professionally, even if no one else is.
- Are you earning the insults or are you being abused? Take a hard look at your own behavior. If you think you're being abused just cut your losses and get a different job.v
- Consider the folks who have made food service a long term career. They might have a very different intellect, and seeming weird to them might not be a bad thing.
- Find a better opportunity. Move on and move up.