Bob CollinsYouTube and a little publicity has apparently cost a hard-working kid in Saint Paul his job.
Brandon Robertson made $11.75 an hour working at the Midway McDonald’s.
“I was always dependable for my general manager, they can’t say anything bad about me,” he tells Fox 9 News. “I never had a write-up, never been disciplined — this is the first time anything like this happened.”
An employee was fired there earlier this week, City Pages posted the video of his “meltdown” (while inexplicably asking us to “bask” in it), and the owner of the store saw it.
So he threw Robertson over the side.
“[Management] felt like I didn’t have control of the store,” Robertson tells City Pages. “This story is worldwide now and they’re looking at it like if I did something to solve it before it got all over the world they wouldn’t be getting all of this attention now. They don’t want all of this attention, and they’re blaming me.”
Franchise owner Courtney Henry issued a statement:
“We regret the personal dispute that unfolded in our restaurant between two of our employees. The conduct shown in the video is unacceptable and we have taken appropriate action. The well-being of our customers and employees remains McDonald’s top priority, and we apologize to our customers who were in the restaurant at that time.”
The story is full of lessons. Pick your employer carefully. Make sure he’s/she’s got your back. And think twice before making someone else’s bad day your daily entertainment. You might get someone fired.
Update 3:07 p.m. – Another statement from the owner:
“We regret the unacceptable employee outburst that happened in our restaurant Saturday and has gone viral leading to much speculation and inaccurate claims. While it is inappropriate to publicly discuss personnel matters, rest assured that we took the appropriate action to address the entire matter and not just what was seen on video.
The well-being and safety of our customers and employees remains our top priority, and we apologize to our customers who were in the restaurant at that time. As this is a personnel matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further. I am proud of our role in the community as an employer and neighbor, and the opportunities we provide.”
– Owner-operator Courtney Henry
