Viral

‘I hate this job’: Viral photo of McDonald’s worker’s ‘quitting’ sign sparks debate

<p>The image was met with a flurry of impassioned responses on Twitter</p>

The image was met with a flurry of impassioned responses on Twitter

@GreatApeDad/Twitter

A simple photo has come to symbolise the struggles faced by low-wage workers, particularly in the hospitality industry, after it went viral online.

The image, shared to Twitter, features a note stuck outside a US branch of McDonald’s, reading: “We are closed because I am quitting this job. And I hate this job.”

The post racked up 200,000 likes and 20,700 retweets in less than 48 hours, as viewers debated the circumstances surrounding the blunt message.

Numerous commentators focused on staffing shortages across the restaurant industry, with many citing other examples of employees feeling overstretched and overwhelmed.

A number were shocked that a single person could be responsible for the running of an entire branch, with one writing:

Another suggested:

While a third commented:

Meanwhile, the man who originally posted the picture pointed out that workforce cuts owing to the coronavirus crisis had left remaining staff crippled by the pressures of keeping businesses afloat:

Scores of users, who themselves claimed to work in hospitality, responded with their own messages of desperation – with many suggesting business owners weren’t the only ones to blame for their hardship:

Others shared their concern for those affected:

It comes after a video showing a restaurant employee suffering a panic attack went viral on TikTok.

The clip showed a young woman called Tay sobbing and struggling to breathe as she tried to deal with unrelenting demands from customers.

She captioned the recording: “When you’re understaffed and overwhelmed and the customers won’t stop yelling at you.”

In it, she gasps through tears: “Can someone please come in and help us? I’m having a panic attack,” as she administers an asthma inhaler.

“We have a catering order, we have 50 online orders – please come help. Please.”

In a comment on her post, Tay explained that she had originally sent the plea to her work group chat, but no one had responded.

Tay’s heart-wrenching video has been viewed more than10.1 million times and racked up more than 2.1 million likes in two weeks, as fellow TikTokers offered her their support and empathy.

“Literally all of us in the restaurant industry right now,” one commented.

“Every day during this damn pandemic,” added another.

While a third issued a public appeal, saying: “Please remember how much stress restaurant workers are under before you scream at them for not getting your food out in 30 seconds.”

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