A Burger King sign has gone viral after employees of one of the chain's restaurants left a notice to management that they were "all quitting," according to "TODAY" Digital.
Rachael Flores began working at a location in Lincoln, Nebraska, in August and was promoted to general manager just a few months later after the departure of a previous manager. Flores has worked in restaurants before, including other Burger Kings, and she was familiar with the environment, but she was unprepared for the behavior she experienced from upper management, she told "TODAY."
"We all quit. Sorry for the inconvenience," read the message posted on the sign outside the restaurant after Flores and at least six other employees decided to put in their two weeks' notice.
Flores said she experienced months of issues, including short staffing, managerial turnover and "hectic" work conditions.
"We had just got really tired of upper management and them not coming to help and not caring about the employees," Flores told "TODAY." "As I became general manager, it got more crazy. I had multiple different bosses."
Flores and several other employees put in their two weeks' notice to management at the end of June, she said. Flores alleges that on several occasions, she would go in to work a shift that was meant for five to seven people to find only two or three working, "TODAY" reported. She said there were many days when work conditions were unsafe for employees who were left to work in dangerously hot temperatures without air conditioning.
"In the beginning of the summer, when it was extremely hot, it would be extremely hot in the kitchen, because the AC wasn't working and temperatures were reaching the mid-90s most days," Flores said. "It was causing a lot of issues with employees. They were getting dehydrated. ... That took three or four weeks to get fixed. One of the days I was extremely delirious. I was very dehydrated."
Flores said that when she told her direct boss and other upper managers about her experience, she was accused of making excuses and being dishonest, and she received comments like "you're being a baby," "TODAY" reported.
Several employees assisted in posting the message, but it was Flores who was ultimately fired for the viral note just days before she had planned to leave, "TODAY" reported. It is unclear whether any other employees were fired.
A spokesperson for Burger King said that they were aware of the situation.
"The work experience described at this location is not in line with our brand values," the spokesperson said in a statement sent to TODAY. "Our franchisee is looking into this situation to ensure this doesn't happen in the future."
