- 5,379
- Yokohama
- F1fan1
This is the first thread I have created. I am asking for some general advice. I am 24, from Scotland, currently in Toronto on a working holiday visa. My girlfriend is from Japan on the same working holiday visa. We both met in Toronto and have been inseperable.
Currently, we are both working at a hostel. My girlfriend is the cleaner and I am one of many receptionists. We do not get paid for this work, but it allows us to live in downtown Toronto in a very beautiful area that we couldn't afford to live in normally. The story is quite long, but please bare with me. Our boss took a liking to one of the other guests and gave him a job here. I only got the job because of my girlfriend. It was a case of give me a job, or lose a good cleaner who will work for free. Initially things were good, we were friends with the other members of staff, but I always got the feeling that the owner didn't like me. Out of the blue, on my birthday he paid for a trip to the niagara falls for me and my girlfriend. He also told me that there would be a paid job coming up and said "just remember I watch the cameras all the time".
I thought he was a bit blunt to be honest, but I've always worked hard. His comment took me a little off guard to be honest, as in my opinion, I'm the hardest working member of staff. I always make sure everything is in order. The other day when I was counting the balance of the till (a task that is required once or twice per shift according to the rota) there was over $1000 which is a lot compared to how much is normally in the till and every single cent was accounted for. I think I have given him reason to trust me.
One problem in the past has been that the owner is quite a sleazy guy and seems to think he has the right to touch girls. Most of the time it's just been on the shoulder, but there's still no excuse for it. It's creepy. Another member of staff left last week and she'd been very vocal about hating it when he touched her to the other employees, but she never said anything to him incase he threw her out. He also touched my girlfriend (before I met her) so her attitude towards him is very blunt... I'm actually proud of her for it... Every time he's around, she doesn't look at him, she doesn't acknowledge anything he says unless she absolutely has to.
Anyway, getting on to the main part of the story. Like I said earlier, he took a shine to another guest and offered him a job which he took. Then he offered him a paid managers position. The other guest was a friend of mine and turned it down and left yesterday without saying a word to the owner. He told me that the owner recently expressed that he wanted my girlfriend and I out of the hostel and asked his favourite employee if he would pick up my hours. Obviously, he then left as he got a place of his own, so the owner's mood has changed and he's pretending to be nice.
I don't know what to do. I feel like punching him, but I'm aware of all the trouble that comes with it. My girlfriend and I are looking for a place, but it's hard as we'll technically be unemployed. I'm finding the main barrier to work in Toronto is that a lot of people can't understand my thick Scottish accent.
I'm looking for advice on the best course of action. I'm prepared to listen to anyone, but I'd like to hear from people from the gta too as maybe they can point us in the right direction with regards to housing and jobs.
All comments appreciated... Craig.
Currently, we are both working at a hostel. My girlfriend is the cleaner and I am one of many receptionists. We do not get paid for this work, but it allows us to live in downtown Toronto in a very beautiful area that we couldn't afford to live in normally. The story is quite long, but please bare with me. Our boss took a liking to one of the other guests and gave him a job here. I only got the job because of my girlfriend. It was a case of give me a job, or lose a good cleaner who will work for free. Initially things were good, we were friends with the other members of staff, but I always got the feeling that the owner didn't like me. Out of the blue, on my birthday he paid for a trip to the niagara falls for me and my girlfriend. He also told me that there would be a paid job coming up and said "just remember I watch the cameras all the time".
I thought he was a bit blunt to be honest, but I've always worked hard. His comment took me a little off guard to be honest, as in my opinion, I'm the hardest working member of staff. I always make sure everything is in order. The other day when I was counting the balance of the till (a task that is required once or twice per shift according to the rota) there was over $1000 which is a lot compared to how much is normally in the till and every single cent was accounted for. I think I have given him reason to trust me.
One problem in the past has been that the owner is quite a sleazy guy and seems to think he has the right to touch girls. Most of the time it's just been on the shoulder, but there's still no excuse for it. It's creepy. Another member of staff left last week and she'd been very vocal about hating it when he touched her to the other employees, but she never said anything to him incase he threw her out. He also touched my girlfriend (before I met her) so her attitude towards him is very blunt... I'm actually proud of her for it... Every time he's around, she doesn't look at him, she doesn't acknowledge anything he says unless she absolutely has to.
Anyway, getting on to the main part of the story. Like I said earlier, he took a shine to another guest and offered him a job which he took. Then he offered him a paid managers position. The other guest was a friend of mine and turned it down and left yesterday without saying a word to the owner. He told me that the owner recently expressed that he wanted my girlfriend and I out of the hostel and asked his favourite employee if he would pick up my hours. Obviously, he then left as he got a place of his own, so the owner's mood has changed and he's pretending to be nice.
I don't know what to do. I feel like punching him, but I'm aware of all the trouble that comes with it. My girlfriend and I are looking for a place, but it's hard as we'll technically be unemployed. I'm finding the main barrier to work in Toronto is that a lot of people can't understand my thick Scottish accent.
I'm looking for advice on the best course of action. I'm prepared to listen to anyone, but I'd like to hear from people from the gta too as maybe they can point us in the right direction with regards to housing and jobs.
All comments appreciated... Craig.
