NC Chick-fil-A Discontinues “Program” That Offered Volunteers Chicken Instead of Cash to Work the Drive-Thru

Chick-fil-A in Henderson, North Carolina, faced backlash after they paid their “volunteers” with chicken instead of cash.

The Washington Post reported that the location advertised on Facebook for people to work in the drive-thru, offering them five free entree meals per shift.

“We are looking for volunteers for our new Drive Thru Express!” the store wrote. “Earn five free entrees per shift (1 hr) worked. Message us for details.”

According to reports, the volunteer program has since been discontinued.

A Chick-fil-A spokesperson said, “Most restaurants are individually owned and operated, and it was a program at an individually owned restaurant,” adding that Chick-fil-A, Inc did not endorse the program.

The store has since been accused of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) due to offering an alternative form of payment. This federal law ensures employees are compensated for all hours worked.

The advertisement claimed that the location was a “volunteer-based opportunity,” not a full-time or part-time job, and was advertised to “people who think it’s a good fit.”

In a separate post on Facebook, the location said, “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.”

The North Carolina Department of Labor’s Jennifer Haigwood, director of communications, said to The Washington Post that the FLSA’s rules for private, for-profit employers “are clear that there cannot be an employee who provides ‘volunteer’ work for that for-profit employer.”

“Generally, labeling a worker as a ‘volunteer’ will not remove the employer from its FLSA obligation to pay the required wages if that individual performs work that benefits the for-profit entity,” Haigwood said.

In response to the criticism, the Hendersonville store said on social media that the concept behind the payment was for customers “to earn free food to 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.”

“As a result, there’s an expression of desire from the community to be more a part of what that brand is doing,” said the store manager. “We get people all the time that want to be a part of what we’re doing. This is designed to be an opportunity for that.”

NC Chick-fil-A Discontinues “Program” That Offered Volunteers Chicken Instead of Cash to Work the Drive-Thru

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