Burger King Employee Gets $300 Fine For Removing Mask While Arguing With Delivery Rider
Tensions are running high in F&B stores as staff struggle to fulfill online orders and delivery riders wait to get their orders.
Unfortunately, the heightened stress brought by ‘Circuit Breaker’ has led to yet another incident.
On Tuesday (22 Apr), All Singapore Stuff posted a video taken by a GrabFood delivery rider involved in an altercation with a Burger King employee.
As the video is pretty long, we’ve summarised it down below. But for those who still want to watch it, here is the full video:
Delivery rider takes picture
According to an account by the delivery rider, the incident took place at Burger King’s branch at AMK Hub.
When the delivery rider arrived, he saw the phones of other delivery riders lined up at the counter and concluded that the system was down.
He opted to cancel the order but Grab’s call centre was busy, so he attempted to lodge a report at their online help center instead.
This process requires taking a picture of the restaurant. However, when the delivery rider used his camera, the Burger King employee was offended.
He thought that his picture was being taken without permission, and confronted the delivery rider.
Burger King employee provoked
The video begins with staff and onlookers attempting to defuse the heated argument between both parties.
Staff members urged the Burger King employee to calm down and had to physically hold him back from the delivery rider. They eventually managed to redirect him to the kitchen.
However, the Grab delivery rider continued to film the altercation, which added more fuel to the fire.
He defended filming the incident, saying that everything is being recorded on camera nowadays.
Employee removes face mask
Shortly after, the employee appeared behind the cash register.
However, this proved not to be good enough separation for both parties, who continued to argue over the counter.
At one point, the Burger King staff even removed his face mask halfway through the fiasco.
More staff were seen intervening to separate him from the delivery rider.
The employee was later fined $300 for violating the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures)(Control Order) Regulations 2020.
Delivery rider criticises employee
The branch manager apologised to the delivery rider, but in turn, the rider said,
No, it’s not your fault. It’s his attitude.
The rider said he would give feedback to Grab concerning a breakdown in the platform’s system.
It’s unclear what the source of the heated argument was, but from the rider’s words, it’s likely that Grab’s system was down which eventually lead to the unfortunate incident.
Burger King provides statement
Stomp reached out to Burger King for comment and received a reply from the marketing director, Ms Irene Tay.
According to the statement, the company supports the ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures.
As most locals spend their time at home, the fast-food chain experienced a surge in demand for deliveries.
Although the crew has worked non-stop to fulfill every order, Burger King’s meals require lengthy preparation. Most orders are takeaways so staff must double pack each item to comply with safety regulations.
While management empathises with the driver’s dilemma, they will not stand for the abuse of their staff. Furthermore, the company highlighted its Dignity at Work and Zero Tolerance policy.
Ms Tay clarifies,
Our staff come to work to prepare food for others, and it is important for all members of the public and our staff to be treated with courtesy and respect.
The Burger King staff has since been counselled and the company is working with delivery partners to streamline the process and prevent similar issues in the future.
Be considerate of others
The ‘Circuit Breaker’ has disrupted lives and led to heightened stress islandwide.
F&B staff are tirelessly working to fulfill orders and provide quality meals for every customer. Perhaps we should try being patient instead of complaining about the long wait times.
Everyone is trying to cope with the Covid-19 outbreak, so let’s remember to be considerate of others.
Featured image from Facebook.
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