What do I do about the late hours I'm working for my new job?

First thing I would recommend is finding out what the labor laws are for 16 year olds in your area. Some states have laws about how late minors can work and how many hours they have to be off between work and school. Next I would talk to your boss and let them know that while you appreciate the hours, you are finding it difficult to focus on school after working so late and ask them to adjust your schedule.

Talk to the GM and make sure he knows that you can only close a limited amount of days a week. If you have to change your availability do so.

What you’re doing is not the “real world” right now. Real people don’t work AND go to school full time in most cases. Your job is TOTALLY school right now.

It really depends on how badly you need the job.

Exactly what @iamthemob stated, your full time job is school. Ask if you can work Friday nights and Saturdays only or maybe one other night during the week, but not close up the store. Chik-fil-a management surely can work around your school schedule. If not, find a job that closes earlier.

Agreed. The GM needs to get the message that this schedule is not in his-or your best interest. Yours, because you have to do well in school. His, because you are a good employee and he needs to keep you at a schedule so you don’t have to quit. Even if you were doing well in school, this schedule will eventually make you sick. Your body needs more sleep.

School comes first. Your teenage years are the ones when you need sleep the most.

Tell him that you like the work, and want to continue working there, but school comes first, and you cannot close during the week, but are happy to do it on the weekend. Isn’t Chik-fila one of those “Christian family values” employers, like Hobby Lobby, that is closed on Sundays so families can go to church together?

I worked a job with late hours when I was 16; I definitely remember not being able to work late on school nights because of labor laws. Tell your GM that you definitely don’t mind closing, but is it possible to switch days to accommodate your school schedule? Or ask to move to a shift that ends earlier on week nights. Most employers understand that teenagers have to be in school. It’s pretty crazy that these people are making you work late nights on a school night, but you have to talk to them or they won’t know that you’re having trouble.

Statistically speaking, high school kids should not work more than fifteen hours per week, or their grades will start to slip and they will begin to engage in more negaive behaviours.

Your first real “real world” lesson is to learn how to ask for what you need. It’s hard and scary to ask your boss to make changes, but it’s a very, very valuable skill to acquire. One you’ll use again and again, throughout your working life. The trick is to ask in a pleasant, business-like manner. Tell the GM that you enjoy working there, but the late hours are interfering with school. Ask if you can close only on either Fridays or Saturdays, with an earlier shift or two during the week.

Thanks everyone, I think I’m gonna talk to him sometime this week or next.

@Parrappa Good luck. Keep us posted!

To anyone who might still care…

I think I’m just going to suck it up. We’ll see where things go grade wise in the next couple of weeks, but I’m getting a lot of hours and not working fridays and saturdays which is awesome. I usually don’t start work until 5 and school ends at 2:15 so it gives me an excuse to actually get my homework/studying done (because I can’t do it after, I get home too late).

Thanks for listening to me bitch and moan though. You guys helped me put a lot of things into perspective, so I thank you for that.

Good luck with it @Parrappa. Learning how to manage your time well is a good byproduct of working that will serve you well in the future.

@Parrappa Thanks for the update! Good luck, and keep us posted.