MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) – Chick-fil-A is known for its relatively fast drive-thru and being closed on Sunday, but one south Florida chain is being recognized for its new workweek.
A Chick-fil-A location in Miami is testing out a three-day workweek for its employees, whereby one group of workers — or one “pod,” as the operator calls it — handles three 13- to 14-hour shifts per week, while another “pod” handles the others.
Operator Justin Lindsey, speaking with QSR Magazine, said the system was implemented back in February, and has since resulted in a 100% retention rate among the store’s management. A recent job listing for one of the three-day positions attracted over 420 applicants, he added.
Lindsey told QSR he created the pods after his employees joked about being exhausted.
“They’re literally working 70 hours a week, week in and week out,” he told the outlet.
Lindsey further claimed that the system creates a competitive atmosphere, wherein both pods “actively compete” with each other, QSR reported.
Creating the pods hasn’t only seen a positive reaction from employees, but reportedly a positive jump in sales, too. Lindsey’s Chick-fil-A location is on track to produce $17 million in sales for FY 2022, or more than double the sales of the average freestanding Chick-fil-A location, according to QSR.
Lindsey, however, claimed his main concern was providing his employees with a better work/life balance.
“I’m truly, from the bottom of my heart, I’m doing this because I think it’s the right thing to do for you and for your families and for your school and for whatever that might be,” Lindsey told QSR.
A representative for Chick-fil-A told Nexstar that several other Chick-fil-A restaurant operators have since reached out to Lindsey for tips on implementing their own similar workweeks. The rep stressed, however, that Chick-fil-A has no plans to institute or begin testing the idea across its restaurants.