New Mexico woman shares horrifying text messages her supervisor sent her after calling out to work for her sister’s care.
Hillary Zinks got a terrifying phone call from her sister last month. She was being admitted to the hospital and declared brain. So she drove straight to Las Vegas for her.
But when she notified her supervisor at the restaurant where she works that she would not be at her next shift — and explained the tragic nature of her situation — the supervisor chastised her for giving such little notice, telling her that her fellow employees would have a particularly hard shift because she was missing.
Furious, Hillary told the woman off, quit, and even sent her a photo of her comatose sister’s middle finger propped up — before learning from the senior manager days later that the supervisor was no longer employed there.
Hillary Zinks is a New Mexico makeup artist who discovered her sister, an alcoholic and brain dead, while she was on set at a television station.
Instantly, she drove up to her, and then texted her supervisor, who was at another restaurant job, saying that she would be missing her next shift.
Although the supervisor admitted she was sorry for Hillary’s situation, she asked her why Hillary called so quickly.
Hillary is an effects and makeup artist for film, as well as working as a waitress.
She received a phone call in November while working on a television series. Amber, her sister of 40 years, was ‘in a coma brain dead and could die any time, at any time, in the hospital’.
Her boss was just as supportive and kind as she had hoped.
‘When that boss found out, she was like, “Hillary, please go home, do whatever you need to do, be with your family, be with your mom, whatever you can — there is no job in this world worth missing life over.”‘
BuzzFeed spoke with Hillary, who explained that her sister was not responding and that the nurses needed to locate her next of kin in order to take decisions for her.
“I felt brokenhearted and frozen.” “I didn’t even have enough time to register this all before I decided to leave to be there for her,” she stated.
She was exaggerated by her supervisor that “the crew who do show up” would be a tough shift since she was not there.
I don’t care what the top 50 looks like or how hard people work. But if you do, why not put on a server’s costume instead of telling me that others are going to have it tough today? Jesus Christ, take a look around the room,” Hillary responded.
Hillary, on the way to Las Vegas for her sister’s wedding, sent a text message to her manager at her restaurant to inform them she was going to miss her next shift.
She shared screenshots of her text conversation with TikTok and said that “Their reply was very inhumane.”
Hillary first texted to inform her that she couldn’t make it to her shift next week because she had to travel to Nevada to visit her sister who was dying at the hospital.
She said she would let her supervisor know when it was, and also apologized for any inconvenience.
Her supervisor’s reply started off kindly enough: ‘I do understand and I am sorry for what you’re experiencing.’
The supervisor then said something that was not quite right: “I am curious why you let me know two hours before your shift?”
Hillary replied her that she left at one in the morning, to which her supervisor first repeated that she had compassion for her situation but was still not happy about it.
Hillary, furious after she arrived at the hospital, quit and sent a text to her boss to tell him she was quitting.
A photo was also sent by her of her paralysed sister with the middle finger raised.
Supervisor wrote, “Though it is my responsibility to create positive working environments for all employees. Today, there is a 50-person top and 2 staff are scheduled for this shift. We will work hard, as we do every day, but it can be difficult on those who do not show up.
Hillary claimed that while driving, she received the texts and was unable to think of anything else.
She replied, “I am fuming.”
Another reply was given by her to the supervisor. “My sister is dying, and I am on life support.” She could die any moment. In the hope that she won’t be alone, I drove eight hours from home to Vegas.
I don’t care what the top 50 looks like, or how hard others have to work, but if you do, why not put on a server outfit and tell ME about all of those people who will struggle today? Jesus Christ, please read this room,” she wrote.
Her supervisor responded: “Thanks Hillary. Take care.”
Hillary got upset. She felt her boss was accusing Hillary or making it seem like she was lying.
The supervisor later apologized to her, insisting that Hillary was misreading the instructions.
This is Hillary’s text to his senior manager, letting him know about the situation.
BuzzFeed was told by her that her behaviour at the hospital made her feel unwell. She said she couldn’t continue working under her.
She quit after she reached that point.
‘Call me crazy,’ she began her next text message, ‘but after your comments this morning, I just got this crazy weird vibe from my comatose sister that you should eat s*** for what you said and that I should quit.
A photo she took in hospital of her, standing next to her sister’s bed was also included. Her sister held her hand up with the middle fingers extended.
‘I know my sister would be laughing her a** off and she would be proud as f***,’ Hillary said on TikTok.
The supervisor was also notified by her to quit. She explained what had happened and criticized the supervisor for being insensitive. Manager wanted to hear the conversation.
Hillary was then informed by her manager that she had lost the supervision’s job and invited to go back to work.
Hillary claimed that her goal was to not have the supervisor quit her job, but to encourage her to reflect on her actions and not repeat the same mistakes again.
Hillary’s supervisor appeared to realize she was wrong and responded later that Hillary had been reading her “completely wrong” and that her own son had died in an ‘unfortunate’ manner four years prior.
The supervisor said, “I only wish the best for your family and I am sorry that I provoked you.” After our meeting, I quit work and have been crying all day for you. Your love is my greatest joy. You are my love. Sorry for offending.
Hillary was informed by the manager two days later that she had received an update. The senior manager told her that the supervisor wasn’t working there anymore and offered to send Hillary a message inviting her back.
Hillary claimed that the intention was to not have her supervisor fired, but to encourage her to examine her own behavior and to not repeat the same remarks again.
BuzzFeed: “We don’t need to be employed by people who see us only as human beings with emotions and families,” she stated.
The woman also urged employers to be kind and compassionate towards their employees.
Amber, her sister, died leaving five children. Hillary stated that she was an organ donor and died as a hero.