A South Carolina single mother who went viral final month for operating a complete Burger King retailer by herself has been fired from the gig over “attendance points” — which she claims come from guaranteeing her “children come first.”
Nykia Hamilton, a 25-year-old mom of three, garnered on-line fame in July after a buyer filmed her hustling from station to station alone contained in the Columbia, SC, fast-food joint to make sure hungry prospects had been fed amid a staffing scarcity, in response to a TikTok video posted on July 6.
However simply over a month after the footage was launched, Hamilton mentioned she was fired from the burger franchise for being late to maintain her children.
“Bruh [Burger King] fired me as a result of I’ve been late due to my children,” she mentioned in a tearful TikTok video posted Aug. 8.
“My children come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing,” she mentioned.
“My thoughts is already f–kked up. I’m making an attempt to maintain pushing for my children however I can not do that s–t no extra. The satan been on my again unhealthy …I promise you he received,” Hamilton continued.
Hamilton often labored greater than 12 hours in a shift at Burger King to assist her three kids, and mentioned her responsibility as a mum or dad to supply for them didn’t cease simply because she was left alone.
“Considered one of my workers simply give up on me, they usually didn’t have anybody else to come back in, so I needed to work on my own, and shut on my own,” Hamilton instructed WACH Information.
“Needed to do the dishes, do prep, do the ground, do the entrance counter, drive-thru,” she mentioned.
She additionally revealed the emotional toll of working lengthy shifts whereas making an attempt to boost her three children.
“I be lacking out on my children’ lives after I work a lot,” Hamilton mentioned, combating again tears. “I’ve to supply for them, however I actually don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me rather a lot.”
The super-mom mentioned she had assist the next day, however her Burger King was nonetheless understaffed and she or he ended up operating solo on one other closing shift.
“I closed once more on my own final evening. I lastly obtained assist immediately. Eleven o’clock and can keep till shut at 11,” she mentioned. “We simply don’t have any workers. No one desires to work anymore.”
Hamilton mentioned she’s deeply grateful for the chance to work and supply for her children since turning over a brand new leaf in life.
“I wouldn’t haven’t any job as a result of I do have a document, and it’s laborious to discover a job with a document,” she mentioned.
“And by grace of God, she gave me a job. In order that’s the one motive why I stayed for her,” Hamilton added, referencing her supervisor.
Burger King has since confirmed Hamilton was fired from the franchise.
“No Group Member ought to ever be left to run a restaurant alone, even for a brief time frame. That’s not how we function, and we’re upset that our coverage, which requires multiple Group Member to work per shift, wasn’t adopted,” an organization spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to The Publish Wednesday.
“Terminations are the choice of the franchisees who personal and function the BK restaurant. On this state of affairs, the franchisee confirmed that the person concerned is now not employed attributable to repeated attendance points,” the assertion continued.
“Whereas we are able to’t share extra on particular person personnel issues, we’re targeted on ensuring each restaurant, whether or not firm or franchise-run, has the staffing and assist wanted to maintain our Group Members and ship the form of expertise our Friends anticipate.”
Supporters on her video have since urged others to proceed donating to her GoFundMe, which has raised $81,137 to assist the one mother.
Hamilton didn’t reply to a request for remark on the time of publication.
