One Chick-fil-A store came under fire for trying to pay their “volunteers” with chicken instead of money.
In a Facebook post, that has since been deleted, the Chick-fil-A location, in Henderson, North Carolina, advertised for people to work in the new drive-thru, offering to pay them five free entree meals for every shift they worked, according to The Washington Post.
“We are looking for volunteers for our new Drive Thru Express!” the store reportedly wrote. “Earn 5 free entrees per shift (1 hr) worked. Message us for details.”
The program ended after one day.
“Most restaurants are individually owned and operated, and it was a program at an individually owned restaurant,” a Chick-fil-A spokesperson said to Business Insider in a statement. They added that the program was not endorsed by Chick-fil-A, Inc.
By offering this “alternate” form of payment, the store has been accused of ignoring the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is the federal law that ensures employees are compensated for every hour worked.
The North Carolina store said that it was a “volunteer-based opportunity,” not a full-time or part-time job, and was advertised to people who might “think it’s a good fit for them.”
The store wrote a separate Facebook post in response to the online backlash: “We’ve had multiple people sign up and enjoy doing and have done it multiple times. People who sign up for this chose it voluntarily.” and added in another social media post that the payment idea was for customers of the location “to earn free food to simply traffic direct other guests.”
“Usually a win-win for us and the volunteer who gets free Chick-fil-A!” the store wrote. “That way, our team can focus on serving the guests in what we do best.”
Yeah, that didn’t go over well.
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