u/ChewyDaChurro

I worked in Mammoth at Yellowstone during the summer of 2024. From March-July. This is my story about being fired by Xanterra for being sick. I had a few absences for general reasons and was on my last one for the season but I was terribly sick, still showed up for my edr shift, worked through breakfast service and into lunch. Before lunch I asked the closest thing to a manager we had on duty at the time our sous chef if I could go home early because all of the hard work from the day had been done and my team was more than happy to handle the rest so I could go lay down. I told him I was on my last absence and he reassured me he’d make sure it was excused. Well later that day when getting back from a shower there was a post it on my door saying to come to the hr office in the morning. I didn’t want to wait and be stressed so I went down later that afternoon and the lady literally told me “Oh everybody thinks it’s like getting called to the principals office when they’re told to come here. You’re not in any trouble just relax and come down tomorrow”. Stupidly I believed her. I went down the next morning and in the office was the exact same lady and my manager Tyler. Knowing what was gonna happen and too sick to have any proper reaction I just sat down and listened to her spiel. She went on about policy, how sorry she was, how “her hands were tied”, and how unfortunate the circumstances were. I tried to explain the situation and begged them for a covid test because I found out someone tested positive for covid in the kitchen the same day I left early and I had all the symptoms. She informed me per policy having a disease that shut down the world for a year didn’t matter and absence is an absence. I was told I had till 5:00 that day to vacate my room. I was too sick to do anything but rest I told them this and they saw this too but policy is policy. I gave up and signed my termination form. Then and only then did my manager more or say anything when he turned to me and let out the weakest “I’m so sorry” I’ve ever heard. Not wanting to be escorted out by security I looked at him and told him it wasn’t his fault even though it was at least in some aspect. I had friends whose managers let an absence or two slide bc they did their job and did it well. Being his untitled shift lead I stupidly hoped he’d refrain from shooting himself in the foot; but he’s not that smart. With that I left the “principals office” let everyone know the bad news and slept till 3:00. Having neither the time or energy to really pack up anything I grabbed my essentials and put the rest in the closet in my room where my roommates would keep it safe. I was homeless for two weeks job searching camping and sleeping on a dog bed at a friend’s place who lived in town. I didn’t recover till about two to four days after I got fired. Sick, homeless, and thrown to the curb that’s what Xanterra did to me and they’ll do it to you too.