NC Chick-Fil-A Recruited 'Volunteers' To Work For Chicken: Reports

HENDERSONVILLE, NC — A North Carolina Chick-Fil-A came under fire last week when it issued a callout on social media asking for "volunteers" to work for food instead of money, according to multiple reports.

"We are looking for volunteers for our new Drive Thru Express!" staff at Chick-Fil-A in Hendersonville wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported. "Earn 5 free entrees per shift (1 hr) worked. Message us for details."

The post, which has since been deleted, was immediately met with backlash for ignoring the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law specifying how employees must be paid for hours worked, the Post reported.

The Hendersonville location is franchisee-owned. When reached by Vice, Ryan — a manager who did not provide his last name — defended the idea.

"What happens with some brands in a community is that they establish a relationship with the community. As a result, there’s an expression of desire from the community to be more a part of what that brand is doing," Ryan told Vice. "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."

The program was not endorsed by Chick-Fil-A's corporate offices, a spokesperson told Insider.

"Most restaurants are individually-owned and operated, and it was a program at an individually-owned restaurant," the spokesperson said, confirming the Hendersonville location decided to end the program.

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Labor told the Post in a statement that the Fair Labor Standard Act's requirements regarding 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," a department spokesperson told the Post.

Based in Atlanta, Chick-Fil-A has more than 2,500 restaurants across 47 states and Washington, D.C., according to a separate Insider report. In 2019, it was the third-largest restaurant chain in the United States by sales, bringing in $11.3 billion.