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The Wendy's Company Employee Benefits
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Employees who shut down Wendy's in Weston speak out about conditions, pay (2024)

Employees who shut down Wendy's in Weston speak out about conditions, pay (1)

WESTON - It was a struggle for Kimberly Manteuffel to keep a restaurant up and running smoothly with only seven employees to schedule.

As an assistant manager at the Wendy's restaurant in Weston, Manteuffel sometimes had toschedule workers for 12-hour shifts, sometimes as manyas 14 days in a row. Some lunch shifts, she'd have only three employees cooking food and taking orders, when the standard is eight workers on the clock for the shift, she said.

Last Thursday,May 31, it reached a breaking point.

Manteuffel spoke with the store manager and other employees, tidied up the restaurant, put away the food, locked the door and hung a sign on the door thatread:

"Due to this corporation's refusal to pay a living wage and deal with problems before it's too late, the employees you would have dealt with today have all walked off the job. We wish you all the best. — Wendy's crew."

The employees didn't know what else to do to get the attention of the company's decision-makers, Manteuffel said. Seven workers,scheduled over the course of the day, refused to perform their jobs.

Their walkout caused the restaurant to be closed for all of Thursday, until Wendy's management scrambled to make other arrangements. In the days since, the workers have reached out to corporate leaders, had contact with local managers and made their case on social media.

They're asking that the restaurant management fix problems with the store, and they're hoping to bring attention to the conditions andthe low wages their work entailed.

Over the last six months, more than 30 employees at the Weston location have left their jobs at Wendy's, which pays $8 an hour, for higher paying jobsor jobs that offer advancement opportunities or raises, Manteuffel said. (Wendy's did not respond to requests for comment.)Often they left for jobs in other restaurants or in factories.

But they left behind vacancies that just weren't being filled by any new hires, Manteuffel said,leaving remaining employees to fill the gaps. Some of those remaining employees have developed problems with their backs, and a few ended up in the hospital with chest pains from the stress, Manteuffel said.

Local managers declined to comment for this story. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin messages left withWendy's owner Starboard Group Management and with DavidRansbury, operator of the company, have not been returned.

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Isis Hunter, Manteuffel's19-year-old daughter, was hired a year ago. She was still a student at Wausau East High School, balancing not only school and homework, but also a 40- to 55-hour work week. She'd go to school, and then straight to work at 4 p.m., sometimes working until midnight or later. Then, she said, there was the miles-long walk hometo Wausauif she couldn't get a ride, which could take her up to an hour and a half.

"It really burned me out," Hunter said."And towardthe end of the semester, it got to the point whereI chose sleep instead of going to school."

On top of the scheduling, there were safety issues, employees said.

Nathan Brown, 18, who worked at the restaurant for about a year, said that on several occasions, a faulty chicken fryer has sprayed him with oil, resulting in a few tiny, circular marks visible on his forearms. Hunter, Brown and Manteuffel said the fryer wasn't the only safety concern at the restaurant, and that district and regional managers weren't responsive to their requests to fix the problems.

But the biggest problem for the employees was the pay. Most of the other businesses in the area, Manteuffel said, paid a higher starting wage with more opportunities for raises. At Wendy's the employees were told by the district and regional managers that they weren't getting raises due to performance, but were never given any feedback or reviews to show how they could improve, Hunter said.

Since the walkout, Manteuffel said the district manager has reached out to the team of employees, some of whomhave quit to take up other, higher paying jobs. In a text on Brown's phonefrom the districtmanager, she addresses the crew as the "Wendy's family," citing misunderstandings occurring between them.

"We know this sometimes happens among family members, however to clear up any misunderstandings we must be able to talk them out," reads the text, which Brown showed to a Wausau Daily Herald reporter.

The message, which appeared to comefrom the district manager, Lisa Joo, offers the employees a raise of $1 an hour. But Manteuffel is apprehensive, and said that in the past, it's taken months for raises to take effect, if they do at all. She and Brown want the promise in writing. Joo did not respond to a voicemail asking for a comment on the walkout.

Currently, the Wendy's store is open and operating, but the employees were brought in from Appleton and Oshkosh, and the district and regional managers are running the store, Manteuffel said. Manteuffel has not returned to work.

In the wake of the walkout, the group of employees from Wendy's has been contacted by other businesses, offering them jobs that will treat them better, Manteuffel said. And they've been contacted by thelabor advocacygroup Fight for $15, which lobbiesfor low-wage workers with a goal of seeing minimumwages raised to $15 an hour across the country.

Hunter, who graduated from Wausau East last month,is set to start a new factory job soon and said she isn't entertaining the idea of ever returning to the food industry. But she's glad to have participated in the walkout, and glad community members have seen the note on the door and asked questions.

"If we hadjust left and locked the door, they would have just done the same thing to a new group of people," she said.

Employees who shut down Wendy's in Weston speak out about conditions, pay (2024)

FAQs

How many write ups before termination at Wendy's? ›

Around 3 write ups but personally haven't seen it happen often. I think you get 3 write ups intil you get terminated. Basis three write ups and your gone.

How do Wendy's treat their employees? ›

Supporting Employees

Wendy's is committed to providing resources and opportunities to help support our Company employees. That includes both role-based and other training and development opportunities, as well as fostering a supportive workplace culture.

What does Wendy's call their employees? ›

The Wendy's crew member is responsible for providing excellent customer service to our guests. The perfect Wendy's crew member will be able to maintain a professional appearance while providing high-quality customer service. The ability to work in a team setting is a MUST.

What is the ethics hotline for Wendy's? ›

REPORTING COMPLAINTS

File a report by going to www.ethicspoint.com or www.wendys.ethicspoint.com. Call our 24-hour compliance hotline (800-256-8595) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

How many write ups before termination? ›

How many employee write-ups before termination? The exact number depends on your company's progressive discipline policy. A common practice is three write-ups.

How much does the average Wendy's owner make? ›

In the US, Wendy's franchised restaurants average $1,900,000 in gross sales per year and a gross profit, before overhead costs, of approximately $1,400,000. The typical net profit – what you could expect to collect after all costs, is $300,000 per year per franchise. This ranks as very good.

What's Wendy's corporate number for complaints? ›

How long does it take to get a raise at Wendy's? ›

Compared to all the departments at Wendy's, the Product team received a raise Every 6 months or less, while the Customer Support team received no raise. Lastly, employees who have some college or have Over 10 Years work experience answered that they never receive a raise.

What payroll company does Wendy's use? ›

AllianceHCM supports Wendy's locations across the country. Because of our experience as a Wendy's HR and payroll provider, we've got all the tools to streamline your workforce management tasks.

What is a nickname for Wendys? ›

Wendy is the nickname of the founder's daughter Melinda. Apparently the nickname came from her siblings' inability to pronounce her name as children—Melinda was just too difficult for their little child-mouths to pronounce, so they'd call her Wenda, and eventually Wendy.

Who owns Wendy's? ›

What are the benefits of working at Wendy's? ›

The Wendy's Company Employee Benefits
  • Health & Wellness. Dental Benefits, Medical Insurance, Stocked Kitchen, Disability Insurance, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Vision Benefits.
  • Workplace Culture. ...
  • Financial Benefits & Perks. ...
  • Life Outside of Work.

What is Wendy's code of ethics? ›

The Wendy's Company Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) is a guide to the ethical and legal responsibilities that we share as members of the Wendy's family. This is not a complete rulebook that addresses every ethical issue that may arise or a summary of all laws and policies that apply to our business.

What is the Wendys McDonald's lawsuit? ›

McDonald's and Wendy's have defeated a lawsuit accusing them of deceiving hungry diners by exaggerating the size of their burgers.

How long do companies keep write ups? ›

Some employers find it beneficial to keep these documents on file indefinitely for active employees as these records provide employers with a good history and overall view of the employee's job performance.

How many write ups before termination in Amazon? ›

2 answers. Amazon implements a 3 strike warning system. After 3 strikes, you're out. You get these strikes if you cannot work at their rate they expect, clock in late to work, or a fall in your work pace rate.

Do companies send termination letters? ›

Under Section 1089 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code, employers must immediately notify an employee of any change in their employment relationship, such as termination. This written notice, or termination letter, must be given immediately to employees upon layoff, discharge, or termination.

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