Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Stupidest employee ever?


The above video is of a Xenia, Ohio, Burger King employee who not only thought it was a good idea to take a bath in the restaurant's utility sink, but then went one step further and posted it on YouTube. Cleveland.com reports that Burger King has fired all of the employees involved in the incident. It also released a statement that it had sterilized the sink, disposed of all kitchen tools and utensils used in the incident, and is retraining the staff in health and sanitation procedures.

A few points.

  1. I knew there was a reason why I don't like to eat fast food.

  2. This story provides another example of the risks employees take when posting videos or pictures on social networking sites.

  3. This story is also a good example of crisis management in the workplace. Burger King handled this situation properly. It fired everyone involved, and is retraining its remaining employees in health and sanitation. Any time a crisis rears its head, whether its sexual harassment, an employee taking a bath in a food preparation area, or something it is always a good idea to send the proper message and set expectations of future conduct through retraining.