Staff at US chain go viral after quitting in the most epic way

Employees at a popular US chain store took matters into their own hands after collectively staging a walkout –while putting the store on blast in a brutally honest note for everyone to see.

Workers at Hot Topic, known for selling music and pop culture clothing and accessories, accused the Minnesota store of lack of liveable wages.

The note read: “Almost all of our staff [walked] out due to in the inability of the Hot Topic Company to support and give a living wage.

“We cannot support ourselves and our families. We have worked so hard and cannot do this any longer.

“You cannot pay your workers in passion. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

The note has since gone viral on Twitter with one user stating, “People are not accepting poverty wages anymore. Corporate America is in for a fight.”

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“Everyone should make a living wage. Period,” another tweeted, “Humans aren’t corporate slaves. It has nothing to do with where someone works or what they do. “High paying” jobs will still exist. Stop shilling for the corporations.”

“If you can’t pay a living wage, you don’t have a viable business, you have a fantasy about being an entrepreneur,” a third highlighted.

Twitter

ABC 6 spoke with a former employee and current employee of Hot Topic about the walkout who said in a joint message:

“We’re getting just an outpour, an insane outpour of international support,”

“It’s all across the world; basically, it’s insane. And we really appreciate it; it means the absolute world to us, especially those of us who had especially hard times.”

Workers at Hot Topic in Apache Mall have also stepped forward to release a statement to ABC 6 News. “Hot Topic, on the outside, looks like a progressive and well-put-together career for employees like us. The pandemic opened our eyes to how clearly horrible the conditions were for our staff,” they said.

“For those struggling to get food on the table and working yourself to the bone to be able to have a home to come back to, now is your chance to fight for the respect and right to a living wage.”

Indy100 has reached out to Hot Topic for comment.