Burger King has issued a statement clarifying the termination of contract of an employee who went viral for working along.
In a statement, Burger King said the matter was handled by franchisees who own and operate the restaurant.
“Terminations are the decision of the franchisees who own and operate the BK restaurant," a spokesperson told the New York Post.
"In this situation, the franchisee confirmed that the individual involved is no longer employed due to repeated attendance issues."
The company, however, criticised the lack of staffing.
"No team member should ever be left to run a restaurant alone, even for a short period of time," the company said.
"That's not how we operate, and we're disappointed that our policy, which required more than one team member to work per shift, wasn't followed.”
The response came after the Burger King worker in South Carolina went viral for running an outlet single-handedly, revealed she was later fired.
Nykia Hamilton, 25, captured attention after a video spread online showing her multitasking at a Columbia branch — cooking, taking orders, managing the drive-thru, and cleaning without any backup staff.
Customers praised her determination, with many stunned at how she was “doing everything by herself.”
Despite the praise, Hamilton said her job came to an abrupt end..
“At the end of the day, I do it for them. I've got three kids to take care of, and I'm a single mother. I still have to feed them, and I've got a child about to go to school. You got to do what you got to do,” she explained, adding that she was dismissed for being late “because of my kids.”
She further noted: “Burger King doesn’t pay for a babysitter and my kids come first.”
Hamilton shared that she became emotional after seeing her son comment on a clip of her working, writing: “I know my mama love me.”
Since her story surfaced, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $90,000 to help support her and her children.
Hamilton has also been pursuing opportunities in comedy.
