How do you deal with blatant favoritism and unfairness at work when you can't afford to quit?
I live in Latin America, and my home life is extremely dysfunctional. My parents argue constantly, and it has taken a massive toll on my mental health. I took a job purely to earn my own money without strings attached and save up enough to finally move out.
A few months ago, a new pizzeria opened in my small town, and I got hired. The problem is that the four managers all previously worked together at McDonald’s, and several coworkers are part of their old crew, too. It’s an exclusive inner circle, and the blatant favoritism was obvious from day one.
I’m naturally a hard worker and take pride in doing a good job, but management completely takes advantage of that. I do twice the work of other people while getting paid less, while the "boss's pets" literally stand around doing nothing and face zero consequences. To make matters worse, management never acknowledges the effort I put in—instead, they constantly nitpick and nag me over small things they completely let slide with their favorites.
I’m currently still on my probationary/trial period, which makes the whole situation terrifying. I’m constantly anxious that they’ll let me go under the excuse that I’m "not meeting expectations," which would be infuriating after how hard I've busted my ass for them. It completely ruins my mental health to feel so unvalued and targeted despite giving my all.
The worst part is that I already completed my degree, but finding a professional job in my field has felt impossible. Getting rejected everywhere while being stuck in fast food—an industry I despise—makes me feel unmotivated, trapped, and depressed. Because I live in a small town, other job options are practically nonexistent. I desperately need this income to get out of my house, but working in this toxic environment is breaking me.
How do you mentally survive an unfair, dead-end job with toxic management when you genuinely can't afford to walk away? Any advice on how to protect your peace and navigate a trial period without losing your mind would be really appreciated.