AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

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mjhale
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AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

Post by mjhale »

AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-bu ... 9eafed20b1

They are closing all company owned stores on 8/30 and 9/13 to give employees time to "rest and recharge". Days off will be unpaid.
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Re: AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

Post by Alpha8472 »

This is truly baffling. Is the chain desperate to cut labor costs?
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Re: AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

Post by mjhale »

Alpha8472 wrote: August 28th, 2021, 9:16 pm This is truly baffling. Is the chain desperate to cut labor costs?
I wondered if this was a way to have good PR and save either operating and/or labor costs at the same time. The sole Bojangles near me was beyond busy when they first opened. However that opening surge has died down to a slow trickle. They have never opened their interior either even with dine-in back again in my area.
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Re: AP: Bojangles closing eateries for 2 days; workers won’t be paid

Post by storewanderer »

I thought Bojangles was a pretty good product. I recall the first time I tried it, I was the only customer and almost didn't proceed given the lack of customers, but was glad I did. I tried it at least two other times and was satisfied both times but it wasn't something I'd go much out of my way for. But certainly something I'd pick over the usual choices given it isn't usually available to me.

This move- I assume their general managers are salaried. So those people are technically getting a paid day off. And they probably have been working every day. It is the hourly crew that is not scheduled that is getting an unpaid day off. It would be something to... pay them for their average hours worked on that day... I guess that would cost too much. Assuming they have 7,800 hourly staff to pay each of them 8 hours at an average pay rate of $12/hr (probably about right when you factor in benefit cost) would cost $748,000 per day. I can see how that may be prohibitive to do on a whim's notice given unit volumes are likely depressed with the drive through only, etc. situations.

We don't know exactly how bad their labor situation is. Is it as bad as the Reno Boston Market which literally seems to only have the general manager and a cook on shift (and does close on random days so they can take a day off)?

Chickfila has no problem giving every employee Sunday off unpaid. But that staffing model is already baked into their labor model. And personally, I would see it as a real tangible benefit to know I would be having Sunday off, every single week, in a retail/food service environment that is usually a 7 days a week type of operation. But to suddenly close on two random days... with so little notice, not sure how much benefit that is. It is something, I guess. For folks who have deferred doctor appointments and such, probably too little notice to get in. Some lead time may be helpful next time.
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