“We Are Looking For Volunteers For Our New Drive Thru”: Chick-Fil-A Faces Backlash For Their Despicable Volunteer Search
Interview
Chicken instead of cash. Sandwiches instead of money. That’s what a branch of the Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant promised to [cough] ‘pay’ their Drive Thru Express ‘volunteers’ in North Carolina. The suggested ‘wage’ was 5 entrees per shift (aka 1 hour) worked. And if you think this is absolutely ridiculous, dear Pandas, you’re not the only ones.
The internet has gone off the rails in denouncing the company for this approach, and we’ve collected the most powerful and viral responses to the whole chicken/labor/wage drama. The outrage was real and you can practically taste the tension in the air. Scroll down to see just what people said about Chick-fil-A’s ‘interesting’ approach to wages, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Now, we know what some of you are thinking: 5 sandwiches per hour theoretically doesn’t sound all that bad, considering their value. We’ve analyzed why chicken is actually really bad as a medium of exchange, and we’ll get to that in just a bit. Are we gonna get all nerdy and take this quirky bit of news seriously? Darn right we are! Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with a finance expert about this. We also got in touch with Bona Bones, whose video on TikTok helped the story go viral.
Chick-fil-A was in the news recently, and not because of something good
Image credits: Mike Mozart (not the actual photo)
A social media post about wanting ‘volunteers’ at one of their drive thrus in exchange for chicken went viral for all the wrong reasons
Image credits: Jeph Foster
Unsurprisingly, the initiative got blasted. The restaurant got called out for the idea online
Image credits: Jeph Foster
A dash of irony…
Image credits: Chick-fil-A Hendersonville (52 Highlands Square Dr, Hendersonville, NC)
Chick-fil-A’s controversial social media post asking for chicken-paid volunteers to man their drive thru has since been deleted. In all fairness, the suggestion was made by a single location and the idea (probably) doesn’t represent the company’s values as a whole. Whatever the case might be, the outrage was absolutely real, wherever you turned.
A representative for Chick-fil-A told The Washington Post that the Hendersonville store “decided to end this program.” They said: “Most restaurants are individually owned and operated, and it was a program at an individually owned restaurant. This was not endorsed by Chick-fil-A, Inc.”
Plenty of internet users were using the social media post as an example of how companies shouldn’t treat their employees and what not to do. If you needed more proof that we might be living in a dystopian clown world, this is it. Many internet users also used this as an excuse to criticize Chick-fil-A which is known for being family-owned and for adhering to ‘biblically-based’ principles.
Times are hard, inflation’s hitting consumers right in their wallets… and it’s making some companies think about cutting costs. CNN reports that even though workers’ salaries are growing, they’re being outpaced by inflation. After accounting for rising prices, wages and salaries declined by 3.5% over the past year.
In the United States, inflation is at its highest level in over 40 years, with prices having risen by 9.1%. And that’s just summing everything up. When you start looking at specific items, your jaw can really drop. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, gas is up 80% and eggs cost 51% more. Meanwhile, NPR points out that chicken prices across America had increased 16.4% by April, according to the Consumer Price Index.
TikToker Bona, who helped the Chick-fil-A story go viral online, told Bored Panda how she reacted when she first saw the company’s social media post.
“My first reaction was, ‘Wow these people don’t even have a grasp of federal labor laws.’ I’m not exactly a legal expert, but I’ve spent enough time in workplace break rooms to know that for-profit companies are legally required to pay the federal minimum wage. It seems like they were either unaware of the laws or at worst blatantly ignoring them,” she shared with us.
Most of the people who reacted to Bona’s video disapproved of Chick-fil-A not paying people. “We’ve already seen the tangible effects of how social media can change things because they took the advertisement down and made a public apology,” she pointed out that public outrage can lead to change.
As for how companies can support their employees in these economically trying times, Bona put it simply: “Pay a living wage. It’s pretty simple. If you can’t afford to pay a living wage then you can’t afford to run a business.”
TikToker Bona Bones was dumbfounded by Chick-fil-A’s ‘volunteer’ program
Image credits: bonadona
She made a video about it and it immediately went viral
Image credits: bona.bones
Image credits: bona.bones
Here is her video, in full
@bona.bones #greenscreen ♬ Spongebob Closing Theme Song Music – Ocean Floor Orchestra
Bored Panda got in touch with a finance expert working at a major bank, to get his opinion on using chicken sandwiches as a way to reimburse workers for their labor. He preferred to stay anonymous due to the sensitive nature of his work, but was kind enough to share his expertise and explain why fiat really is better than food.
Fiat money, aka cash, is a government-issued currency that isn’t backed by some sort of physical commodity. There are no tangible assets, like gold or silver in the past, backing these currencies. Fiat’s what many of us have been using all of our lives.
According to the finance expert, paying someone in chicken “is not a good idea due to the so-called ‘double coincidence of wants,’” an economic phenomenon where two parties both have something the other wants, so they exchange them directly. It’s what bartering is all about. However, in the modern world, this is extremely impractical, which is why we use a monetary medium of exchange.
The expert told Bored Panda that reimbursing someone for their time with food is a bad idea, especially if they work more hours.
“Fiat, with all of its downsides, manages to solve the issues that come with the double coincidence of wants,” he explained.
“In this case, you would be stuck with a pile of sandwiches which you wouldn’t want to eat anymore,” the expert told us.
“You wouldn’t be able to find anyone who you could give the sandwiches to in exchange for something you would want,” he noted why paying someone with food doesn’t work well. After all, you won’t find (m)any landlords who would gladly expect cold, stale sandwiches for letting you rent your apartment. And good luck buying a new video game or a cup of coffee with chicken.
“And they [the sandwiches] are more perishable than fiat money,” he pointed out. The expert then joked that considering that the price of chicken rises along with inflation, it might not be such a bad idea to choose it over cash.
Some people argued that what the restaurant was doing was allegedly not illegal so it must be fine, but Bona provided the facts
Image credits: bona.bones
You can watch Bona’s follow-up video right here
@bona.bones Replying to @zombielifer #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Bona Bones
Here’s how people, from well-known CEOs to regular internet users, reacted to Chick-fil-A’s ‘volunteer’ program
Image credits: DanPriceSeattle
Image credits: JoshuaPotash
Image credits: JoshuaPotash
Image credits: CallMeDaLottery
Image credits: ImNotEdisAggin
Image credits: JYSexton
Image credits: liberaldenver
Image credits: AliciaMarieBODY
Image credits: jelenawoehr
Image credits: lucifersliege
Image credits: CheeryAnne1
Image credits: _psycological
Image credits: hechtic
Image credits: clandersen
Image credits: DougBierend
Image credits: JusticeDickens2
Image credits: advaithj1
The backlash was immense on TikTok as well
The Chick-fil-A branch in Hendersonville swiftly put an end to the program. Here’s their statement
Image credits: facebook
They should have called them "interns" instead of "volunteers." Then it would have been legal. Slavery is so complicated these days!
wowbagger that is incorrect. (See https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/71-flsa-internships) Note that C-F-A is offering compensation in the form of food so they CLEARLY fail Tests 1 & 6, and probably fail Tests 2, 3, & 5 at least.
Load More Replies...
Ten years ago, mayor Tom Menino told Chick Fil-A president Dan Cathy that his company wasn't welcome in Boston, Mass. because of Cathy's diatribes against equal marriage. Menino said, “There is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it.” Man, I miss Tom Menino. https://boston.eater.com/2012/7/25/6561523/heres-mayor-meninos-angry-letter-to-chick-fil-a
maybe they'd have a bigger workforce pool if they didn't hate gay people so much.
Load More Replies...
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” -Mahatma Gandhi
one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people
Load More Replies... This is a fascinating story, but I think the BP readers can do without the tiktok content. That's not something we need on this site.
"This idea was a little too creative, and the consequences unintended." Is corporate speak for "We didn't think this one through, and we really sh*t the bed."
What's a few sandwiches if you not only save paying wages, but also Social Security and health care, and bypass occupational safety regulations and worker rights?
"Chick-fil-A has donated over $5 million, via the WinShape Foundation, to groups that oppose same-sex marriage." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A_and_LGBT_people
Well, the day has finally arrived. Work for food. How was that called? Oh, yes, slavery
If you pay workers with chicken, how do you handle the deductions for taxes and Social Security? Do you mail wings and Tater-Tots to the IRS? What happens when they do their taxes and are owed a refund?
Not to mention no workers' comp insurance for medical bills if they fall while carrying food to a car.
Load More Replies...
They tried to explain it as “our customers wanted to participate in a company they love, a hands on experience.” Clearly a ploy to get cheap labor from a multi million dollar corporation. Vile.
I wonder if they love the company for its food or its anti-gay positions?
Load More Replies...
I really think people took this way to serious and blew up for nothing. The same page said they were hiring. A volunteer usually names their own hours. So got to work for an hour, get your sandwiches and leave. Big deal. Or apply, get paid $19 an hour. Why do I think these haters hated the "Chick" before this ever started? So now you people who love to hate can down vote me too!
Considering that what Chick Fil-A did is completely illegal how seriously should we take it? No salary, no payroll deductions paid into social security, no workers' comp insurance if they are hurt on the job, etc. How many times must we repeat the lesson that no one is above the law?
Load More Replies...
Wait, a "Christian" company wants everything for free and is taking advantage of others? I'm SHOCKED, I tell you!
"nObODy WAntS tO wORk ANymOrE"; offers an unpaid volunteer position. And to the idiot who said something about needing work experience to get a job. ITS FAST FOOD. It's literally the first job many people get BECAUSE you don't need work experience. HowTF would get work experience for fast food if you're claiming you need experience to even get that job?
The one thing that sucked more than what Chick fil-a did was one poster mentioning that private equity investors are buying up mobile home parks and raising rents. (I googled it) These greedy people don't want us regular folk to have anything. They want it all and to hell with us.
I can see this being attractive go people who are homeless and can't hold a job very long for what ever reason so they will work an hour for food . It seems to me thst it's exploiting vulnerable member of society
Tbh I would work for free if I got some chicken outta it
Wow. Joel Benson is both callous and clueless. High marks, though, for the "too creative" remark in order to save his job. He'll fail upward with all that "creativity"!
It's ironic that NPR was quoted in one part of the story above. I worked for a PBS and NPR station, and they are notorious about having unpaid interns.
Done right, internships provide much needed real life job experience above and beyond mere book learning. That translates into real hire ability and more earning power ($$$$). I do not know if the stations you mention do it right, but consider that if they have a long history of many interns it means that they have a reputation of providing that value which is desired by students in the industry.
Load More Replies... Honestly this is the kind of thing my husband would totally go for! Lol, He loves interacting with people and loves free stuff. But he wouldn't want a full actual job there, just join in for a couple hours and get free food! He did the "first 100" at Chick-fil-a once, where you stay overnight in the parking lot in a tent (they had lip-sync competitions and stuff, it was fun) and get 52 free #1 meals. He's also volunteered at coffee shops before just for fun :)
Sounds like your husband would be a great volunteer for a non-profit organization!
Load More Replies...
I may not agree with everything this restaurant does but I will say that because it is a Christian establishment it is considered a target for everyone who disagrees with its policies. I say if you don't agree with a place, don't go there. Same with a Christian school. If they have beliefs that are contrary to what you think they should have, don't sue them. Just don't go there.
If one of these volunteers gets hurt on the "job" who will cover their medical bills? Non-employees will not have workers' comp insurance. These volunteers could take a fall carrying food to cars and have no medical coverage.
Guys - five chicken sandwiches an hour is like getting $25 an hour. I would definitely do this.
$25 is what YOU pay for the food. Its cost is way less than that. In fact, it's less than minimum wage.
Load More Replies...
Maybe they should ask Jesus since they love him so much. I hear he likes volunteerism.
I am very proud of the fact that Chick-fil-A tried to open a franchise in the UK and within hours the protests were big enough for them to be closed down permanently and they abandoned their plan to open UK stores. No place for bigots here. Suggest you Americans try the same thing.
Idk, if people wanted to work for free sandwiches let them, no one was forced, people don't volunteer for "slavery" (a terrible comparison to use in this situation). My concern would be the obvious lack of a requirement for a food safety handlers card and training. And also the morals of the company, they're pretty gross too.
No, you do not let people work for a private company for free sandwiches. Just because there might be people who will do it doesn't mean it's right.
Load More Replies... "No one wants to work these days" but the "work" they offer is slavery. Cool, really cool, america really is the 'greatest' isn't it..
I’m not knowledgeable enough in that area to know if this is legal or not, so I can’t speak to the legal side. But why the outrage? Nobody is being FORCED to work for chicken sandwiches, and they are offering paid positions for $19/hr. Sounds like you just join in for a couple of hours if it sounds like fun to you, and if you want an actual paid job, you can get one. Fwiw, I work at a CFA and it’s been a great experience; we have employees with a range of political opinions, and honestly, everyone I’ve worked with has been incredibly caring and kind to me. Food safety, cleanliness, and team member safety standards are VERY high. We have had fundraisers to help team members with medical procedures. Also important to note that CFA’s are independently owned and operated, this is an incident at just one location. Sounds like people are just hungry for an excuse to hate on Chick-Fil-A. If you don’t like their values, dont eat there. Anyways, bring on the downvotes, lol.
You can volunteer when your basic needs are covered. If this is the only way you can get a meal, then you're preying on the vulnerable. Glad you enjoy working at such company, btw.
Load More Replies... 
chick-fil-a is actively fighting to ban same-sex marriage & doesn't deserve your 20 year old's business, no matter how good the food is or how clean the stores are. & your 20 year old is an idiot for being dumb enough to take an unpaid job.
Load More Replies... They should have called them "interns" instead of "volunteers." Then it would have been legal. Slavery is so complicated these days!
wowbagger that is incorrect. (See https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/71-flsa-internships) Note that C-F-A is offering compensation in the form of food so they CLEARLY fail Tests 1 & 6, and probably fail Tests 2, 3, & 5 at least.
Load More Replies... Ten years ago, mayor Tom Menino told Chick Fil-A president Dan Cathy that his company wasn't welcome in Boston, Mass. because of Cathy's diatribes against equal marriage. Menino said, “There is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it.” Man, I miss Tom Menino. https://boston.eater.com/2012/7/25/6561523/heres-mayor-meninos-angry-letter-to-chick-fil-a
maybe they'd have a bigger workforce pool if they didn't hate gay people so much.
Load More Replies... “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” -Mahatma Gandhi
one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people
Load More Replies... This is a fascinating story, but I think the BP readers can do without the tiktok content. That's not something we need on this site.
"This idea was a little too creative, and the consequences unintended." Is corporate speak for "We didn't think this one through, and we really sh*t the bed."
What's a few sandwiches if you not only save paying wages, but also Social Security and health care, and bypass occupational safety regulations and worker rights?
"Chick-fil-A has donated over $5 million, via the WinShape Foundation, to groups that oppose same-sex marriage." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick-fil-A_and_LGBT_people
Well, the day has finally arrived. Work for food. How was that called? Oh, yes, slavery
If you pay workers with chicken, how do you handle the deductions for taxes and Social Security? Do you mail wings and Tater-Tots to the IRS? What happens when they do their taxes and are owed a refund?
Not to mention no workers' comp insurance for medical bills if they fall while carrying food to a car.
Load More Replies... They tried to explain it as “our customers wanted to participate in a company they love, a hands on experience.” Clearly a ploy to get cheap labor from a multi million dollar corporation. Vile.
I wonder if they love the company for its food or its anti-gay positions?
Load More Replies... I really think people took this way to serious and blew up for nothing. The same page said they were hiring. A volunteer usually names their own hours. So got to work for an hour, get your sandwiches and leave. Big deal. Or apply, get paid $19 an hour. Why do I think these haters hated the "Chick" before this ever started? So now you people who love to hate can down vote me too!
Considering that what Chick Fil-A did is completely illegal how seriously should we take it? No salary, no payroll deductions paid into social security, no workers' comp insurance if they are hurt on the job, etc. How many times must we repeat the lesson that no one is above the law?
Load More Replies... Wait, a "Christian" company wants everything for free and is taking advantage of others? I'm SHOCKED, I tell you!
"nObODy WAntS tO wORk ANymOrE"; offers an unpaid volunteer position. And to the idiot who said something about needing work experience to get a job. ITS FAST FOOD. It's literally the first job many people get BECAUSE you don't need work experience. HowTF would get work experience for fast food if you're claiming you need experience to even get that job?
The one thing that sucked more than what Chick fil-a did was one poster mentioning that private equity investors are buying up mobile home parks and raising rents. (I googled it) These greedy people don't want us regular folk to have anything. They want it all and to hell with us.
I can see this being attractive go people who are homeless and can't hold a job very long for what ever reason so they will work an hour for food . It seems to me thst it's exploiting vulnerable member of society
Tbh I would work for free if I got some chicken outta it
Wow. Joel Benson is both callous and clueless. High marks, though, for the "too creative" remark in order to save his job. He'll fail upward with all that "creativity"!
It's ironic that NPR was quoted in one part of the story above. I worked for a PBS and NPR station, and they are notorious about having unpaid interns.
Done right, internships provide much needed real life job experience above and beyond mere book learning. That translates into real hire ability and more earning power ($$$$). I do not know if the stations you mention do it right, but consider that if they have a long history of many interns it means that they have a reputation of providing that value which is desired by students in the industry.
Load More Replies... Honestly this is the kind of thing my husband would totally go for! Lol, He loves interacting with people and loves free stuff. But he wouldn't want a full actual job there, just join in for a couple hours and get free food! He did the "first 100" at Chick-fil-a once, where you stay overnight in the parking lot in a tent (they had lip-sync competitions and stuff, it was fun) and get 52 free #1 meals. He's also volunteered at coffee shops before just for fun :)
Sounds like your husband would be a great volunteer for a non-profit organization!
Load More Replies... I may not agree with everything this restaurant does but I will say that because it is a Christian establishment it is considered a target for everyone who disagrees with its policies. I say if you don't agree with a place, don't go there. Same with a Christian school. If they have beliefs that are contrary to what you think they should have, don't sue them. Just don't go there.
If one of these volunteers gets hurt on the "job" who will cover their medical bills? Non-employees will not have workers' comp insurance. These volunteers could take a fall carrying food to cars and have no medical coverage.
Guys - five chicken sandwiches an hour is like getting $25 an hour. I would definitely do this.
$25 is what YOU pay for the food. Its cost is way less than that. In fact, it's less than minimum wage.
Load More Replies... Maybe they should ask Jesus since they love him so much. I hear he likes volunteerism.
I am very proud of the fact that Chick-fil-A tried to open a franchise in the UK and within hours the protests were big enough for them to be closed down permanently and they abandoned their plan to open UK stores. No place for bigots here. Suggest you Americans try the same thing.
Idk, if people wanted to work for free sandwiches let them, no one was forced, people don't volunteer for "slavery" (a terrible comparison to use in this situation). My concern would be the obvious lack of a requirement for a food safety handlers card and training. And also the morals of the company, they're pretty gross too.
No, you do not let people work for a private company for free sandwiches. Just because there might be people who will do it doesn't mean it's right.
Load More Replies... "No one wants to work these days" but the "work" they offer is slavery. Cool, really cool, america really is the 'greatest' isn't it..
I’m not knowledgeable enough in that area to know if this is legal or not, so I can’t speak to the legal side. But why the outrage? Nobody is being FORCED to work for chicken sandwiches, and they are offering paid positions for $19/hr. Sounds like you just join in for a couple of hours if it sounds like fun to you, and if you want an actual paid job, you can get one. Fwiw, I work at a CFA and it’s been a great experience; we have employees with a range of political opinions, and honestly, everyone I’ve worked with has been incredibly caring and kind to me. Food safety, cleanliness, and team member safety standards are VERY high. We have had fundraisers to help team members with medical procedures. Also important to note that CFA’s are independently owned and operated, this is an incident at just one location. Sounds like people are just hungry for an excuse to hate on Chick-Fil-A. If you don’t like their values, dont eat there. Anyways, bring on the downvotes, lol.
You can volunteer when your basic needs are covered. If this is the only way you can get a meal, then you're preying on the vulnerable. Glad you enjoy working at such company, btw.
Load More Replies... chick-fil-a is actively fighting to ban same-sex marriage & doesn't deserve your 20 year old's business, no matter how good the food is or how clean the stores are. & your 20 year old is an idiot for being dumb enough to take an unpaid job.
Load More Replies...
43
86