CHARLOTTE, NC – The Bojangles restaurant chain, based in North Carolina, announced Friday that it will close all of its company-owned stores in the next two days, presenting it as an opportunity to offer its thousands of employees a “deserved rest “in the midst of very difficult times.
But Bojangles employees will not be charged for these days off.
In a statement, the chicken and cookie chain described its 8,000 crew members and managers as its “most vital asset.” He encouraged them to use the upcoming closures on August 30 and September 13 as an opportunity to “rest and recharge”.
The restaurant company’s written statement did not mention whether its workers would be compensated during these closures, viewing it as a “benefit” to its valuable employees that would boost their health and well-being.
The Associated Press asked company spokeswoman Stacey McCray to clarify whether staff would be paid. In an email, McCray responded, “Both days will be unpaid.”
In response to further questions, he said many workers have been working lately and the company believes they would benefit from a couple of days off. He said Bojangles would offer employees opportunities to work overtime if they wished.
Bojangles said the next closures would be “in response to the shortage of labor across the industry and other tensions that have plagued its employees who have worked hard through the pandemic.”
It was not immediately known what Bojangles employees thought about unpaid days off. Employees who arrived by phone at several restaurants diverted calls to the corporate office.
Bojangles was founded in Charlotte in 1977 and has restaurants in more than a dozen states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.