Chick-fil-A Offers ‘Volunteer’ Workers Chicken Sandwiches Instead of Money, Faces Backlash

Fast-food workers have demanded higher wages, but chicken sandwiches likely aren’t what they had in mind.

Chick-fil-A is facing a wave of criticism after a Hendersonville, North Carolina restaurant published a controversial Facebook advertisement, offering workers food instead of money. The caption of the now-deleted post read, “We are looking for volunteers for our new Drive Thru Express! Earn 5 free entrees per shift (1 hr) worked. Message us for details.”

Facebook users quickly inundated the post with comments condemning the program and questioning whether the offer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Responding to the criticism, the restaurant wrote, “Thanks for everyone’s concern on this matter. This is a volunteer-based opportunity, which means people can opt in to volunteer if they think it’s a good fit for them. 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. We are still hiring full-time and part-time team members, so if you are interested in working in our store, we pay $19/hr.”

A spokesperson for Chick-fil-A told Insider that the company did not endorse the program.

"Most restaurants are individually owned and operated, and it was a program at an individually-owned restaurant," the spokesperson said.