An interaction between a Church’s Chicken worker and customer is sparking controversy online after a child was seen in the fast food chain’s kitchen.
In a viral video that has received over 858,000 views, user Bornconfused (@haitianboi1804) shared the confrontational moment a customer in the Church’s Chicken drive-thru complained about a worker having her child with her while at work.
@haitianboi1804 #foryou #foryoupage #viralvideo #viral #goviral #fyp #foroupage ♬ original sound – Bornconfused
“You shouldn’t have a baby in the kitchen,” the customer told the worker, who was handing her a receipt. “That’s not safe.”
The worker nodded and shut the window, appearing to ignore the customer’s threat.
“I will be reporting this to codes,” the woman continued. “Cause y’all do too much nasty sh*t up here.”
The video then zoomed in on a little child who appeared to be sitting on a countertop at the back of the Church’s Chicken, an area that is typically off-limits to everyone but workers.
“She’s already on camera,” the customer yelled as the worker lifted the child and moved her from the camera’s view. “Now she’s tryna hide her. A whole baby sitting on the counter.”
Bornconfused shared the video along with overlaid text that read, “Wow she doesn’t know that lady situation, she need to mind her business.”
Users agreed with the TikToker’s take, and they shared their views in the comments. Many defended the mom for working her shift at Church’s Chicken even though she had to take care of her child, while they criticized the customer for her lack of sympathy.
“God bless her at least she is trying to work and look after her child,” one user wrote.
“I’ve had to bring my son to work with me bc sitter didn’t come,” another admitted. “It’s hard for us single moms.”
“I was a 19 yr old single mom,” a third shared. “Didn’t always have a sitter, at times my child had to come to McDonald’s with me. You do what you have to.”
“Why not offer to help her?” asked one commenter.
In 2022, the Daily Dot reported on a worker calling out their $9 an-hour starting pay at Church’s Chicken. Payscale estimates that in 2023, the franchise’s employees earn an average of $10.58 an hour. Given that Payscale also states that childcare workers make an average of $11.20 an hour, most Church’s Chicken workers would it prohibitive to pay someone to watch their child at their current pay rate.
One person shared that their parent was one such worker who could not afford childcare. “My mom would take us to work when we was younger my mom had to pay the bills and couldn’t leave us home alone,” they wrote.
Another said, “I remember my dad waking us up at 4 am to take us to work for inventory. We would sleep in the booths until my mom could come by and take us to school.”
One person summed up the general sentiment in the comments section, writing, “People need to have compassion.”
The Daily Dot reached out to BornConfused via TikTok comment and Church’s Chicken via email for comment.