A Chili’s manager was filmed seemingly distracting workers by asking them what their favorite Thanksgiving side is during a rush. Viewers who claim to be Chili’s workers are calling it a “universal experience.”
TikToker Boom (@lilboomie) posted a video of employees at a Chili’s franchise discussing Thanksgiving side dishes with a manager while orders pile up in the kitchen.
“When ur screen is full and getting fuller but ur manager has to know everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side,” @lilboomie wrote in the text overlay of the clip, which was viewed nearly 100,000 times.
“She was right asf i was done with everyone in the building atp,” the TikToker added in the caption.
@lilboomie she was right asf i was done with everyone in the building atp 🤣 – 🎥 @tufavnaty #fyp #serverlife ♬ original sound – boom
Some commenters quipped that this was a “universal experience” while working at Chili’s. “Why is it the managers always messing around during busy times?” one questioned.
Others began sharing their own anecdotes of managers who would mess around during pressurized rush periods at their own restaurants. One viewer shared how their manager allegedly wanted workers to play Secret Santa “in the middle of a Friday rush.”
According to FSR Magazine, there’s a nearly 40% turnover rate for restaurant management positions; this is reportedly mostly attributed to the high-stress nature of the job. FSR also reported that “nearly 70 percent of restaurant employees” expressed that they didn’t feel like they were trained effectively enough by their managers.
Forbes, which outlined tips for dealing with so-called “lazy workers,” urged readers to not “get caught up in the issue of fairness” by comparing one’s own workflow and output with those of their co-workers. The only time one should take issue with this, Forbes noted, is if one is being forced to pick up their co-worker’s slack and perform tasks that are outside of their own duties.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Chili’s via email and Boom via TikTok comment.
