‘The Jimmy John’s crisis response team is real’: Ex-Jimmy John’s worker says managers watch employees through camera

Should employees at popular sandwich chain Jimmy John's smile for the cameras? One TikToker is claiming Jimmy John's watches employees using security devices.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Jimmy John's via email about these claims.

TikTok user DOiNKLES (@daddydoinkles) claims that the security is so intense that a worker's misbehavior led to a nearly immediate response.

On Sunday, he posted the allegation to his account. The video currently has over 31,400 views.

Does Jimmy John's watch employees?

DOiNKLES reported that Jimmy John's employees operate under such strict surveillance that they can detect a food safety infraction almost immediately.

In a response that appears to be from a question on another account's video, he labels the surveillance as "The Jimmy John's Crisis Response Team."

"The Jimmy John’s crisis response team is real," DOiNKLES states. "Let me tell you how it's real."

DOiNKLES claims that they told an employee to clean the bathroom at the store. He put gloves on and picked up a bucket containing the cleaning supplies.

He tells his viewers, "He walks by the 'bacon bucket' where all the bacon is that you give to the customer."

DOiNKLES states that the employee grabbed slices of bacon on his way to the bathroom, presumably to snack on while cleaning.

Apparently, the employee "wanted to snack and clean."

"I get it," he states.

The phone call

Afterward, DOiNKLES says the staff almost immediately received a call. "I answer it. and it's corporate. It's the people on the cameras, and they're like, 'Hey, you better stop little bacon bathroom boy.'"

He claims they had to throw all the bacon out—likely due to contamination fears.

"That's a lot of bacon," he says, before claiming that he took it home himself instead of throwing it into a dumpster.

Thereafter, DOiNKLES states he never experienced such surveillance. "He didn't even make it to the bathroom," the TikToker adds.

Jimmy John's employees weigh in online

Jimmy John's does not have a clearly stated policy about security surveillance on its website.

However, a conversation on r/jimmyjohns on Reddit reveals that security measures by franchisees might entail some monitoring of employees.

User DoctorScreens asked, "Anyone else’s Area Manager spy through security cameras?"

In response, mc_fli stated, "Area manager here. No, that’s not normal. Cameras are supposed to be used as a security tool, not a baby monitor."

LouBerryManCakes wrote, "I don't think the AMs I've worked for did it much unless there was some reason to expect something shady going down. I wouldn't be very impressed with an area manager that watched cameras all."

However, grimoireskb wrote, "My owner used to watch the cameras the entire time he was there but it stressed him (and the workers) out so our GM got him to cut it out."

Another Reddit user stated "Recently the GM and owner at our store have told us that they’ll be watching us 24/7 and if we do something wrong, they’ll call the store and tell us to fix it."

And Hope4money commented, "Our store manager will watch the cameras to see how the employees are working and if they’re doing everything the right way."

Is there any proof that Jimmy John's uses surveillance?

It would appear that there is no set across-the-board policy for franchisees. That said, the corporate website privacy policy does state in its "Information we collect" section that "audiovisual information such as when you interact with Customer Service or as might be captured by a security camera."

A testimony by a Milwaukee franchise owner on video surveillance company Eagle Eye Networks states the following: “I check the mobile app more than I want to admit. It’s just so easy to use. I’m constantly viewing my restaurants to make sure they’re fully staffed and clean for our customers."

The Daily Dot reached out to Eagle Eye through its website.

What did the viewers think?

At least one viewer responded positively.

"I'm eating at Jimmy John's from now on!" Hal (@remeberme5) wrote.

"Yeah, I have no issue with JJ’s! I still eat there because I know its all good quality and usually ran the same," DOiNKLES responded.

Another service worker claimed, "Starbucks does this as well, I really dislike the whole system."

Another viewer was dubious, writing, "Corporate watching cameras in a franchisee’s store… nah man. That wouldn’t fly."

The Daily Dot reached out to DOiNKLES via email and TikTok messenger for further comment.

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