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Burger King workers in Lincoln, Nebraska, all quit — and they told their would-be customers via the fast-food chain’s sign, captured in a photo that went viral in the aftermath of the mass walkout.
“We all quit,” the sign said. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Television station KLKN reported the sign appeared at the fast-food restaurant near the intersection of 59th Street and Havelock Avenue on July 10, 2021. The letters were taken down the same day, the news outlet reported.
Here’s what you need to know:
A Former Manager at the Store Said Staffers Were Working Without Air Conditioning & That She Landed in the Hospital With Dehydration
The kitchen was understaffed, w/ employees having to work 50-60 hr weeks. The kitchen also had no air conditioning, reaching over 90 degrees. A worker was hospitalized for dehydration. Her boss said she was being a “baby.” They all quit. t.co/Sx2tu9JcoW
Two former employees told KLKN TV that employees at the Lincoln, Nebraska, Burger King were working without air conditioning and that the restaurant was understaffed. Rachael Flores, the former general manager, told the news outlet she ended up in the hospital with dehydration.
Flores said employees in the kitchen were working without air conditioning for weeks, and that at one point the kitchen temperature exceeded 90 degrees. Flores told KLKN her boss called her a “baby” for complaining.
The kitchen was understaffed, and they often had only three or four people working during lunchtime, the news outlet reported. Flores told the news station she worked between 50 and 60 hours a week. Flores and former employee Kylee Johnson told KLKN that the understaffing was a safety issue.
Burger King released a statement to CNN saying they are looking into the situation.
“The work experience described at this location is not in line with our brand values. Our franchisee is looking into this situation to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future,” it read.
Flores became the general manager in January and gave her employer two weeks’ notice before leaving on July 10, KLKN TV reported. Eight of her staff followed suit, she told the outlet, and she and another departing employee put the sign up on their last day.
She told the news outlet there was much turnover during her time on staff.
“They have gone through so many district managers since I’ve been GM,” she said. “No one has come to the store to help me out. They’re so in and out.”
The Store’s General Manager Said Burger King Management Told Them to Change the Sign After a Few Hours
Upset workers changed a Burger King sign to read “We all quit.” CNN’s Jeanne Moos reports on the mutiny at a Nebraska fast food joint. t.co/jd7kFCrk6z
Flores told KLKN she and a coworker put up the sign as “kind of a laugh to upper management.” She said she didn’t think anyone would notice, but it went viral on Facebook.
Flores told CNN she and another resigning employee changed the sign at about 6 a.m., and within a few hours, upper management called and said she needed to take the message down.
“I told him I couldn’t do that because we were short-staffed and lunch was just starting,” she told CNN.
Another manager arrived soon after, Flores told CNN, and asked for her key and card. CNN reported the sign was up for about six hours before it was replaced with a message that read, “Now hiring. Flexible schedules.”