Jessica Frith, 21, checks Uber prices at the intersection of Harvard and Brighton avenues near her Allston apartment on April 1. Jess, who says that she’s become “addicted to Redbull,” often Ubers to and from work, sometimes spending up to $15 on a late-night ride. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess, at the center, stands with other Earl’s Kitchen and Bar employees during a Wednesday closing shift on Apr. 3, 2019 at around 10 p.m. Jess works as a shift manager 2-3 times a week and waitresses 1-3 times a week at Earl’s, totaling between 35 and 50 hours. She decided to take on management responsibility and longer hours because she wanted leadership experience for future job opportunities, but Jess enjoys managing more than waitressing. “I have more control over what’s going on,” she said. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess laughs with a coworker in the back of the restaurant on Apr. 3, 2019. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Often stretched for time due to long work hours, fourth-year Boston University student Jessica Frith frequently hands in her assignments late and chooses to catch up on sleep when her commitments become too overwhelming. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
“I cried earlier about the way he was treated,” Jess said about her coworker, Mike Baruffaldi, who is pictured here describing how another server stole a table from him on Apr. 3, 2019. One of Jess’ responsibilities involves listening to employee complaints and having sit-downs with others who are inefficient, unprofessional or disrespectful to their coworkers. In this case, Jess was on Mike’s side, but she finds this aspect of her job difficult. She used to only work as a waitress, so coworkers sometimes don’t respect her position. “They think they can just treat me like a friend.” CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess files through tips for servers in the Earl’s Kitchen back office. In this office, Jess stores her beaten-up work shoes, checks her school e-mails, changes into comfortable clothes at the end of the night and socializes with coworkers. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess clears up the patio space at Earl’s with a kitchen manager at around 2 a.m. on Apr. 11, 2019. After closing time, which is at 1 a.m. on Wednesdays, Jess has to stay around until the servers, bartenders and kitchen staffers are finished cleaning their respective areas. She sometimes doesn’t leave until after 3 a.m. and might not get home until around 4 a.m. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Katelyn Elinoff, a salaried manager, hugs Jess in the Earl’s back office while Jess eats her dinner of steak and mashed potatoes. “She keeps me sane here,” Jess said about Katelyn, with whom she is able to confide in regarding personal and work-related problems. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess nuzzles her dog Scrappy, an emotional support animal she adopted in Oct. 2018, at around 4 a.m. on Apr. 11, 2019. Jess and her friend, Katerina Chew, at right, are having a sleepover after finishing work only an hour earlier. Chew is a BU student who decided to take the semester off to work at Earl’s and save money. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess sits before class in the lounge area of 154 Bay State Rd. on Apr. 12, 2019. Jess is currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations as well as a Master of Arts in International Affairs as part of a five-year program offered by the Pardee School of Global Studies. To finish both degrees by May of 2020, students in this program take summer classes and overload on credits. Jess took 18 credits this semester. CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Jess and her coworker Katerina Chew embrace outside the Earl’s entrance in the Prudential Center after a closing shift on Apr. 11, 2019, at around 3:20 a.m. Jess said that most of the people she socializes with are her coworkers, that a “traumatizing aspect” of going through difficult times together “forms bonds.” CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
Frith holds a tub of butter during her check of the back-of-house on Apr. 11, 2019. As part of her closing responsibilities, Frith has to make sure every section of the restaurant is clean and ready for next day’s open. Here, a chef realized that the tub of butter was not sitting in a metal tin and ran to grab one.
CHLOE GRINBERG/ DFP STAFF
The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University
Sunday, June 4, 2023
