Is it me

[Whatsit]

I am a 62 year old cashier at a gas station slash store. I have worked there over six months. I love doing customer service. I also cook fast foods there. When Xmas came the boss was speaking to me. And said just so you know nobody likes you here so watch your back. And log out of ur register cause they want to  set you up." I was shocked. And hurt by this information. 
 

They planned a Xmas party at a bowling alley. I did not go I was scheduled to work. Did not want to go bowling with a bunch of folks who didnt like me anyhow. The boss also has food that says keep frozen thawed in the fridge that she has us cook for the customers. I asked her about it and she said corp told her to do it that way. I know food handling been doing it for years. What would you do in this situation? 

[Lotsgoingon]

I would watch my back and make sure that I log out of the register.

You could go back to the manager and ask for more details on what they meant. 

I once worked at a job where a worker came up to me (she was a friend of a friend of mine) and she told me I was being too trustworthy. I remember her words. "Don't trust anybody around here. Not even me!"

I had to think about what she meant. In my previous job, people were extremely friendly and trustworthy. This job had a lot of disgruntled employees and so I figured out that I seemed too unguarded in talking with these employees. I think she was right. I tightened up a bit. I didn't get paranoid. But I was more cautious.

Now, back to you, it seems to me your boss likes you. And also he might not like these other people. Sounds like he's saying the other employees are not trustworthy, will steal from the register if they get the chance and so on. 

So see if you can bond with the boss. And look, sometimes you do want to leave a job. But it's possible that these other workers will disappear or get fired in the next year or so. I wouldn't quit the job unless I had another lined up. In other words, your boss just told you that the OTHER people were jerks, not you. 

 

[Whatsit]

My boss is a female 

[ExpatInItaly]

On 1/25/2026 at 8:20 PM, Whatsit said:

What would you do in this situation? 

I would start looking for a new job. 

[Alpacalia]

Oh wow… that is a lot to process. Honestly, your boss’s behavior sounds completely unprofessional, inappropriate, and frankly a little hostile. No one should ever say to an employee, “nobody likes you here, watch your back, they want to set you up.” That’s not “management.” A good boss (or manager) would help resolve conflicts, and create a professional, safe, and respectful environment. They wouldn’t foster a hostile atmosphere.

She also has food that's supposed to be frozen thawing in a fridge. 

Sounds like she's the one with the problem.

Who knows if what she told you is even true.

What I would do (if I didn’t want to risk losing my job) is ignore her remark and continue interacting professionally with your co-workers. Focus on doing your job well, maintaining your own standards, and documenting any unsafe practices or inappropriate comments.