Vice: A Chick-fil-A In North Carolina Asked for 'Volunteers' to Work for 5 Chicken Sandwiches Per Hour

[Deleted member 10780]

Isn't that like $30 an hour?

Why not just pay your employees that in cash? Who tf gonna eat 5 sandwiches an hour? Someone method acting for Brendon Fraser's new role?

 

[StraySheep]

People ITT are acting like this is a chain-wide thing and not the weird actions of one franchisee.

 

[Bengraven]

And then they can be like "no excuse to be hungry and unemployed. We have options. Everyone wants a handout".

 

[Dark Ninja]

Must be some legal loophole that they get "paid" in sandwiches instead of cash so that this location could pull off this volunteer thing.

 

[Reckheim]

Right, but like... that's a situation where the entire $20 item is actually something you want. Even aside from the ethical concerns regarding both Chick Fil-A itself and whether or not this is exploitative, I'm having trouble understanding the pitch here even trying to meet more than halfway. "Free" food might be tempting if you're broke and can't or don't want to work more hours, but why would I want five entrees?

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you're walking home from your 8-5 job, money is tight as fuck; you pass by a place that is offering you basically free food for 2 days for one hour of work; without any commitment.

There are plenty of people that are 'broke' in the US.

 

[Ernest]

I don't understand the appeal of Chik-fil-a. Soggy chicken on a shitty soggy bun with some pickles and the option to cover it in some sugar sauce. Horribly dry fries too.

Wendy's does chicken sandwiches much better lol

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I'm not a fan of Chik-fil-a, but Wendy's chicken sandwiches are all bland as sand, even the supposed "spicy" ones.

 

[Deleted member 896]

you're walking home from your 8-5 job, money is tight as fuck; you pass by a place that is offering you basically free food for 2 days for one hour of work; without any commitment.

There are plenty of people that are 'broke' in the US.

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But the pitch also specified the "lunch rush." So coming home from my day job and picking up an hour shift to be able to bring home (relatively) fresh chicken sandwiches for the wife and kids doesn't even seem like it's an option.

 

[WhySoDevious]

So you work an hour and you can have lunch for the week.

I can see this appealing to some people

 

[Gentlemen]

Is this supposed to be a gotcha or something? You do realize that plenty of people work outside for longer than 1 hour a day and at higher temperatures than 83°, yes?

Chick-fil-A is shitty for incalculable reasons, but asking for a one time, one hour shift in exchange for (what? $30 in food? albeit garbage food) isn't that monstrous.

Shit on them for their treatment of the LGBT+ community.

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good lord you're reading entirely too much into a joke about how easily this terrible proposition is considered.

 

[Lump]

Who pays the tax on those entrees?

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Imagine getting a W-2 for an hour's work and five chicken sandwiches being written in Box 1.

TurboTax be like "you got chicken sandwiches on your W-2, you're going to need to pay $50 for the Pro version so we can handle this."

 

[SlasherMcGirk]

Like what happens if they get hurt. Sorry they dont work here. Riiiiiiight.

 

[SasaBassa]

Work the one hour
Sell for a dollar under to ppl as they want them
Pocket it

But also instead of this stupid homer-esque bullshit just pay people

 

[HeartlessNobody2134]

Just speaking solely on the food & service, I don't get why some people don't get the appeal of Chik-Fil-A.

Even if you don't think all too highly of the food, the service is just better than everywhere else.

A line at CFA with a bunch of cars will go much faster than other fast food spots with a lesser number of cars.

 

[Meg Cherry]

Just give them the equivalent of 5 sandwiches in money.

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I'm guessing the product cost of one entrée x5 is less than minimum wage.

Just speaking solely on the food & service, I don't get why some people don't get the appeal of Chik-Fil-A.

Even if you don't think all too highly of the food, the service is just better than everywhere else.

A line at CFA with a bunch of cars will go much faster than other fast food spots with a lesser number of cars.

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It's mediocre food and the money goes directly to cult-devoted bigots. The "appeal" seems pretty limited to me.

 

[Powdered Egg]

LOL @ wages being chicken sandwiches.

 

[MazeHaze]

I'm guessing the product cost of one entrée x5 is less than minimum wage.


It's mediocre food and the money goes directly to cult-devoted bigots. The "appeal" seems pretty limited to me.

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i mean it probably costs them like 30 cents per sandwich, thats how giant corporations are so profitable. when I worked at dominos the product cost was like $1.70 per large one topping which were priced at $11.99

 

[platocplx]

LOL @ wages being chicken sandwiches.

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What a capitalistic dystopian future instead of wages you are just working directly for food. shit is still insane to me.

 

[Cana]

Why not do this then undercut the joint by selling your fresh burgers for less to other customers? could literally sell it at before tax prices if it was busy enough.

 

[subpar spatula]

This isn't really new in the sense that people work for food. Like, some of the first written language found in history is food payments for completing work.

So, will make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (3 to be exact) for anyone who wants to wash my car.

 

[Ze_Shoopuf]

Tastes like hate.

Poor CFA can't pay all their employees during the rush.

Also Fuck CFA.

 

[Naijaboy]

Let me know when Popeyes is offering the same deal.

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Now that's a plausible offer.

 

[TheCthultist]

Isn't that like $30 an hour?

Why not just pay your employees that in cash? Who tf gonna eat 5 sandwiches an hour? Someone method acting for Brendon Fraser's new role?

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Because why shell out cash when you can get away with paying someone in mediocre chicken? It's just good business sense…

I'll never understand why people are so devoted to that place.

 

[Slayven]

Now that's a plausible offer.

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popeyes would just toss day old biscuits at you

 

[Royalan]

So, this lucrative Chick Fil A is exploiting people (likely young, likely BIPOC) for their labor and compensating them in under-the-table and untaxable food?

...and we're supposed to be ok with that because it's a bland ass Chick Fil A sandwich?

Am I missing something?

 

[Swiggins]

Let me know when Popeyes is offering the same deal.

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Bring back the dirty rice first, then we'll talk.

 

[EYEL1NER]

Just schedule people to rotate outside for an hour? Is the manager everyone's "buddy" and doesn't want to make their "friends" go do the shit-work, so they're soliciting volunteers? I totally get that it would be an awful hour, standing outside in the heat and humidity while constantly busy for the entire time. It's not something I'd want to do and it's not worth five entrees from anywhere to me to do it. But if I worked there, I'd probably expect that I might have to occasionally get put on traffic duty or whatever.

They said they are hiring for full- and part-time employees. If they are understaffed at the moment and don't have anyone to go out and direct traffic, maybe the long waits from people in the line put them on corporate's radar, and this is them trying to quickly fix things? Potentially violating labor laws and making national news doesn't seem like the way to do that.

 

[AvianAviator]

I think this is supposed to be for people who have full time jobs already who just wanna volunteer for an hour or two to get free food?

It is a tone deaf announcement in the wake of retail workers being underpaid and overworked, and brings into question why on earth they can't just increase pay and benefits to hire some new workers to begin with...there is no way that these companies are squeezed so thin that they can't increase their wages.

 

[Bucca]

So, this lucrative Chick Fil A is exploiting people (likely young, likely BIPOC) for their labor and compensating them in under-the-table and untaxable food?

...and we're supposed to be ok with that because it's a bland ass Chick Fil A sandwich?

Am I missing something?

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Why are they likely BIPOC? Out of curiosity

 

[Royalan]

Why are they likely BIPOC? Out of curiosity

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Because it's usually young BIPIC that get exploited by shit like this.

Could be wrong, but usually not.

 

[gyrspike]

Just speaking solely on the food & service, I don't get why some people don't get the appeal of Chik-Fil-A.

Even if you don't think all too highly of the food, the service is just better than everywhere else.

A line at CFA with a bunch of cars will go much faster than other fast food spots with a lesser number of cars.

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Except it doesn't. Well maybe McDonald's is as slow. But any other place in town is faster and has better service than the 20 minutes on average I had to wait in line at Chik-Fil-A the last time I tried eating there.

They truly are the Starbucks of fast food, over priced and extremely slow.

 

[Downhome]

I don't understand the outrage at this. It isn't like they were taking on new actual hires to come in, work the job normally, and be paid exclusively in chicken. They asked for volunteers to come in for an hour to lend a hand due to being so busy, offered what they offered, and people took it or they didn't. It wasn't like they were being hired to be literal employees. It wasn't for folks looking for a job, just for folks with nothing better to do for an hour who love CFA. I spend so much money at CFA I'd have considered it locally if it was a thing. If it was literally for any entre it could have been worth up to almost $38.

I'm sure it varies location by location, but here where I live CFA is the absolute tops in terms of employee experience and speed. No other fast food joint around here comes remotely close to the kindness, quality and the quickness of our local CFA stores. Hell, if they leave something out of your order and you call and let them know they literally have someone drive out the missing items to you plus give you coupons for free food in the future.

 

[BigSkinny0310]

So, this lucrative Chick Fil A is exploiting people (likely young, likely BIPOC) for their labor and compensating them in under-the-table and untaxable food?

...and we're supposed to be ok with that because it's a bland ass Chick Fil A sandwich?

Am I missing something?

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If you ask for volunteers and offer to give them free sandwiches, how is that exploitation? You know people don't have to do this.

 

[Royalan]

If you ask for volunteers and offer to give them free sandwiches, how is that exploitation? You know people don't have to do this.

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I'm pretty sure we've had conversations before on how easily exploitable volunteer labor is, especially in the US.

But if people want to go up for this over Chick Fil A, don't let me stop you.

 

[PunchyMalone]

If you ask for volunteers and offer to give them free sandwiches, how is that exploitation? You know people don't have to do this.

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It devalues all the people that are working there for wages. They're not willing to attract more employees with better pay or properly staff with what they have so the offer to fill the gaps with, what should be blatantly illegal, volunteer positions.

 

[Legacy]

This is wild, wild wild

 

[Downhome]

I'd go so far to say this is way less exploitive than shit like Subway offering free subs for folks to get a huge ass tattoo on their body.

 

[PunchyMalone]

I'd go so far to say this is way less exploitive than shit like Subway offering free subs for folks to get a huge ass tattoo on their body.

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Comparing massively exploitive practices like we are building a tier list.

 

[entremet]

 

[Downhome]

Comparing massively exploitive practices like we are building a tier list.

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To you perhaps, I don't consider what CFA did as exploitive at all. Volunteer at a local CFA for almost $40 worth of food for an hour of what most of those people likely view as cos-playing as a CFA employee vs literally etching corporate branding into your body.

 

[TheSkullPrince]

Mid at best food chain

 

[Dice]

Just give them the equivalent of 5 sandwiches in money.

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Seriously lol


View: https://youtu.be/A81DYZh6KaQ

Isn't that like $30 an hour?

Why not just pay your employees that in cash? Who tf gonna eat 5 sandwiches an hour? Someone method acting for Brendon Fraser's new role?

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A family. And busy stay at home parent, now that I think about it.
(I'd still rather the value in money; but clearly they're getting you at cost by comparison).

It's not the worst deal; but yeah, I don't think it sets a good precedent at all.

 

[nilbog]

Payday.

Spoiler

This is nuts

 

[Walter White Walker]

I don't understand the outrage at this. It isn't like they were taking on new actual hires to come in, work the job normally, and be paid exclusively in chicken. They asked for volunteers to come in for an hour to lend a hand due to being so busy, offered what they offered, and people took it or they didn't. It wasn't like they were being hired to be literal employees. It wasn't for folks looking for a job, just for folks with nothing better to do for an hour who love CFA. I spend so much money at CFA I'd have considered it locally if it was a thing. If it was literally for any entre it could have been worth up to almost $38.

I'm sure it varies location by location, but here where I live CFA is the absolute tops in terms of employee experience and speed. No other fast food joint around here comes remotely close to the kindness, quality and the quickness of our local CFA stores. Hell, if they leave something out of your order and you call and let them know they literally have someone drive out the missing items to you plus give you coupons for free food in the future.

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It's illegal. Under law, volunteering is not allowed in a for-profit business. It's a violation of all sorts of labor laws. Their "income" is being paid under the table in chicken sandwiches, so income taxes and FICA aren't being paid. Additionally, what happens when one of these volunteers gets injured, such as getting hit by a car in the drive-through? No Workers Compensation for them.
If you operate a business and need people to do things, you must hire them as an employee.

 

[rjinaz]

Payday.

Spoiler

This is nuts

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You work for Donald Trump? You monster.

 

[Brunire]

"Actually, people enjoy being taken advantage of!" Quite the win-win 🙄

 

[Deleted member 3896]

It would be fun to volunteer for this then intentionally ruin the day's business in some way.

 

[rjinaz]

It would be fun to volunteer for this then intentionally ruin the day's business in some way.

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That is what is so crazy. Like what is to stop some volunteer from saying "welcome I shit in your food" or "Satan be with you!" To every customer

They volunteer yet still represent the company. What can they do, not give a chicken sandwich. Oh no! This is such a bad idea.

 

[Rosebud]

"I have a family of 5 and don't feel like cooking lunch, what are my options..."

 

[Marshall]

To you perhaps, I don't consider what CFA did as exploitive at all. Volunteer at a local CFA for almost $40 worth of food for an hour of what most of those people likely view as cos-playing as a CFA employee vs literally etching corporate branding into your body.

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People keep saying $40 worth. It's not. CFA pays probably well under a dollar a sandwich. Pay someone $40 and they can buy a shitload more actual food from a grocery store.

 

[PunchyMalone]

To you perhaps, I don't consider what CFA did as exploitive at all. Volunteer at a local CFA for almost $40 worth of food for an hour of what most of those people likely view as cos-playing as a CFA employee vs literally etching corporate branding into your body.

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I'm guessing it's because you haven't thought about it past the scenario you just decided was worse.

- They're taking away work from the employees that are paid to be there. If they're too busy, that means the business is thriving. They're taking in volunteer work to keep labor costs down so they can squeeze those tiny amounts of profits out of them.

- If you think this is as far as they'll take it, you're wrong. This is testing the waters to see if they can get away with it. If they do it will expand and spread to other businesses.

- They also want it to expand because it creates a tiered system of employment. How can the employees demand better living/working conditions if they just outsource it to free labor? It will also crush any labor movements that are exploding in this industry.

There are also many many more reasons. If you don't see this as exploitive, it's probably because you've never worked this sort of job. Or you did and are fine with kicking the ladder down after you got out.