I worked a nine hour shift for Revolution Bar and they didn’t even pay me

Then they pretended I didn’t exist when I rang up


With the amount of students getting themselves into their overdrafts, struggling to maintain a healthy social life and feeding themselves as well as receiving hardly enough loan, a part time job is the way forward.

This can be retail, hospitality, or by far the most popular: bar work. I personally have been a bartender for the past three years, working at a city centre bar, a sports club and now a chain restaurant as a cocktail waitress. Before I got the job in the restaurant I was looking around for jobs, attended a few interviews and then was pleasantly surprised to receive a trial shift for Revolution for one of their busy Friday nights.

I know my way around a bar

I turned up in the obligatory entirely black outfit and waited in the staff room for someone to tell me where to start. Having had no cocktail experience I fully expected to be doing the basic glass collecting and cleaning to begin with, however my bank balance welcomed the opportunity to be finally earning some money.

I was having to elbow and push my way through hoards of drunken hens and stags, attempting to collect glasses and wipe tables. Despite the distraction by the constant bombardment from the inebriated Friday night crowd (at one point I was grabbed by the head and a kiss aimed in my direction by one of the stags), I realised my tiredness and how much my feet were aching.

It was 2 am and despite many of the staff around me being sent on breaks I was yet to be offered one. By law “A worker who works more than six hours is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes” (findlaw.co.uk) and by 2 am I had been on my feet walking stoically around the square footage of revolution bar for seven hours. I did eventually get a break, only after having asked for it and was met with surprise as though I shouldn’t dare as the new member be so cheeky as to ask for a break.

Everyone’s entitled to a break

Despite it’s business and some of the customers forwardness, I enjoyed the atmosphere and social aspect of working at revolution. At 4 am after the close down of the bar had been completed I had a meeting with the supervisor on shift who filled out a booklet, asking me questions about how I had enjoyed my time and whether I felt as though I had fit in. I was given a positive review of my work and left at half 4 confident that I had found a job.

Wish you were as nice to work for as your drinks taste Revs

Fast forward two weeks and I had yet to receive a phone call informing me one way or the other whether I had actually got the job (bearing in mind during interview I was told explicitly I would be given notification either way). I took it upon myself to ring them myself and ask where I stood. However when I did ring up, I was met with a rather confused staff member who had no recollection of me, even when I mentioned the forms I had filled out and the question booklet that had been completed at 4 am.

When I mentioned the lack of compensation for the 9 hours of my time I had given them, I was met with a non committal grunt and a promise that I would be contacted within the week. I wasn’t.

I smile when I know I’m being paid

After that phone call, I began to feel as though I had been taken advantage of. As a student, any amount of time is valuable, especially when you are promised pay at the end of it. Having worked in a bar environment previously and having been paid for my trial shift there before I even knew I had the job, I knew that Revolution were in the wrong. Every bar has different policies, this is true, but when you are working under the premise of being paid and then aren’t, you have been taken advantage of.

So a word to the wise for students applying for jobs, your time is valuable. Don’t let big companies (or even small ones) blag their way into free labour.

Revolution Bar plan on releasing a statement soon.