“This Dominos in San Antonio. Working during this crisis. They had a weekend worth of food and it was gone within 4 hours. This team helped those that needed help. These are the essential workers that need recognition. They were the only pizza place open. Every pizza place was closed but dominos stayed open to help those in need.” ~ News 4 San Antonio
That sounds like a great feel good story but lets look a little deeper than that surface fluff.
“A weekend’s worth of food” was sold in four hours.
And a little deeper.
Dominos made a weekend’s worth of profit in four hours.
And deeper
Dominos employees were paid four hours for a weekend’s worth of work.
That doesn’t sound fair, does it? And yet that happens hour after hour, day after day, week in, week out, in America today.
Surely they will get a bonus, or a little extra money for their efforts, surely. Maybe they will, but as of the day after that photo was taken, they had not.
How do I know? I called and asked. Did you know there are twenty Dominos locations in and around San Antonio?
I didn’t. I do now. I won’t tell you how many I had to call until I found the one in question, nor will I tell you how long I had to stay on hold until I could speak to a member of management.
I will share how the conversation went.
Me: Have the Dominos employees in the picture that did a weekend’s worth of work in four hours been compensated accordingly?
Dominos Member of Management: (laughing)
Me: (silent)
Dominos Member of Management: Oh. Are you being serious?
Me: (Identifying myself as a member of the media) I’m very serious.
Dominos Member of Management: Please don’t quote me on that. I should have directed you to our corporate offices.
Me (knowing full well that is their policy. That is also why I did not identify myself at the beginning of the call. I wanted a direct and honest response to my question, not corporate doublespeak)
I am going to quote you, but not by name. Since we are already talking I have one more question and I am only looking for a simple yes or no answer, an honest yes or no.
Have those employees received any additional compensation and or are there any plans to compensate them beyond their regular hourly pay?
Dominos Member of Management: No. Good bye.
I am sure I am not the only one concerned about this and sooner or later a member of media with a larger planform than I will ask the same questions. Either that or the Internet itself will ask those questions.
I have no doubt whatsoever that those employees will eventually receive something above their regular hourly rate, Dominos does have an image to uphold.
The problem is what about all the employees at all the corporations that perform labor above and beyond the compensation they receive, every single hour of every single day?
Photo courtesy of News 4 San Antonio