I ate at Chick-fil-A today. What? Yeah..that's what I said. And why is that important? Well, Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. The company first opened in 1946. And all those years, they have been closed on Sundays. Now the company is franchised...but they are still closed on Sundays. Let's go to the numbers...shall we?
In 2007, the company did $2.64 billion in sales. Because they are only open Monday-Saturday, that means that they only do business around 312 days a year. So, on average (and yes, I know, there is a lot more to these numbers than an average can report - time of year, day of the week, the economy...but this is just a supposition...so get over it), the company makes $8.5 million worth of sales everyday. IF they decided to be open on Sundays, they COULD be selling another $4.5 million or so. Each year. That's a lot. Duh.
But they don't open on Sundays for this simple reason: they want their employees to have a day off. Can you believe that? Now, I'm sure that we could say a lot of bad things about Chick-fil-A: their food is fattening, they leave all employee decisions to individual franchise owners (so who knows if people are making a good wage and have benefits???), and they make cows seem dumb. But they honestly believe that employees need time to just ... be. If you have ever worked in the service industry, you know how rare this is. Most restaurants will find any way that they can to work their people to death.
I know this seems like a trivial discussion. But corporate responsibility isn't just about how a company treats its customers...it is also about how it treats its employees. And Chick-fil-A obviously sees the value in creating a happier workforce. Why does that seem to be so rare these days? Companies that treat their employees with respect are more likely to instill loyalty and respect, which cuts down on theft and shirking on the job.
I'm not saying that high calorie, fried food is healthy. I'm not saying that fast-food is a good choice for everyday. I'm not saying that eating meat and processed dipping sauces (oh those dipping sauces) is the right choice. But I AM saying that if you are going to make those choices anyway, you might as well support a company that supports their workers. And maybe - if you are feeling especially inspired - look into how other companies treat their workers... and decide if that is the kind of establishment that you would choose to support with your hard earned dollars.
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2 comments:
Actually, they are closed on Sundays, not so the employees can have a day off, but so their employees will attend church. The founder is a staunch fundamentalist Baptist, and apparently the mission statement includes this phrase: "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."
And, like all good devout religious organizations that cross into the mainstream, it has trouble adjusting to the real, more secular world. It's been sued a number of times for discriminating against employees of other ethnicities, religions, and sexualities. People have advanced in the company by attending church with the executives, and they'll even admit that they screen potential employees for possession of "certain types of morals and values." Read between the lines and I'm sure you can guess what that means.
I would not go there, except for the delicious lemonade and chicken sandwiches they serve. Remember, they didn't invent the chicken, only the chicken sandwich.™
This comment brought to you by the Atheists for Chicken Commission
I have heard that. But that isn't what their website says. Their website says that want to give their employees time to spend with their families and worship if they so choose to.
And now (I'm not saying this has always the case) their mission statement is: To be America's best quick-service restaurant. But I understand your point and I assumed that there would be more to this story than I knew. But even if they are only closing so that their employees can go to church, they are still missing out on a good deal of money which I find really interesting... I find any company that exists for reasons other than profit interesting.
Side-note: If they did change their mission statement, do I have more respect for them becoming more...well, forthright... or do I think that they should have held their ground and not watered it down.
Thanks for the comment!!!
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