An inconsolable mother has criticized the manager of a Wendy’s location for how they reacted to the news of her 19-year-old daughter’s death.
TikToker Kenyatta McAlpine (@kayzkrew3) says that upon learning that her daughter, Kailyn, was involved in a car crash that took her life, the manager in question was more concerned with trying to get a jacket back that Kailyn presumably borrowed prior to her passing.
Viewers were outraged by the mother’s story, which went viral on the popular social media platform, accruing over 838,000 views.
@kayzkrew3 @Queen we miss you baby girl #fyp #wemissyou #foverer19💔🕊 #LLKM #heavencouldntwaitforyou🕊 #letthemangelbabiescousins #justicewillbeserved❤️ #plzsupportmefrnds💪🏽❤❤ #pleaseshare ♬ original sound – K’sKrew3
“Please share this is how the company Wendy’s did my daughter after she died,” the TikToker writes in a text overlay of the video. She tearfully looks into the camera and relays the story of how management at the Wendy’s restaurant Kailyn worked at asked for their jacket back following her death in a fatal car accident.
“Three of your employees was in a terrible accident,” the girl’s mother says. “One of them did not make it. And the one that didn’t make it was one of the hardest working workers at Wendy’s, my baby Kailyn.”
She goes on to say that the store’s manager didn’t send condolences to her family or ask if they needed anything. “She said, find out if she has my jacket because I need it back.”
Kenyatta was stunned at the lack of consideration from the Wendy’s worker, “Now I had just found out my daughter…had just found out my daughter was gone. And you got the nerve to worry about whether my deceased child who was unalive, have your stupid a** jacket. That can be replaced. Because what I lost, could never be replaced.”
She adds, “And the thing that really hurt me the most because my daughter worked her a** off for Wendy’s and I have proof because I have someone on here who met my daughter, who worked with my daughter, who’s seen what type of daughter that, seen what type of child she was, and she will tell you that my daughter was very respectable. And she did her job, and she did whatever you asked her to do and didn’t complain about it. Wendy’s did not call, Wendy’s did not send a flower, Wendy’s did not try to send a card, nothing. Wendy’s did not try to reach out to me period.”
Numerous commenters expressed their shock at the fast food chain manager’s reaction to discovering one of their employees had passed away.
“This is unacceptable & very very sad, distasteful for a company of this nature. This is so heartbreaking to watch. Im so sorry for your loss,” one person wrote.
Someone else penned, “That is the lowest anyone could be! How can someone be so heartless! My condolences to you and your family.”
Some people pointed out that this behavior was indicative of a disturbing trend in corporations where workers are seen as dispensable commodities: “Unfortunately companies most definitely see people as replaceable and I am so so sorry for that momma I wish you the absolute best in this grieving.”
Several viewers tagged Wendy’s TikTok account in their responses to the grieving mother, who has posted several videos of her having to live through her daughter’s death.
This isn’t the first time a company or supervisor has been criticized online for having a heartless response to the news of an employee’s death. A viral Reddit post uploaded to the site’s r/antiwork sub from a grieving worker who lost their mother was met with shock and outrage from throngs of users on the platform, and was covered widely online by a number of outlets.
In the post, the employee said her boss required proof of their mother’s passing, along with notes about her medical condition/records so that they could take a leave of absence to plan her funeral arrangements and grieve with her loved ones.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Wendy’s via email and @kayzkrew3 via TikTok comment for further information.