16 Pros And Cons Of Working At Burger King

Burger King is a beloved international fast food chain.

Customers flock to the restaurants and drive-throughs all over the world for an iconic flame broiled burger.

There are more than 18,700 locations in over 100 countries around the world.

That makes for a lot of employees.

Some people cringe at the thought of working fast food jobs, but is it really that bad?

Below we explore what it’s really like to work at Burger King with our list of pros and cons.

Pros Of Working At Burger King

1. Benefits

It may come as a surprise, but many Burger King employees get some really great benefits.

Workers have the option to receive health, dental, and vision insurance.

The company also offers a 401K, profits sharing, and a pension plan.

These are benefits that, as a whole, are difficult to find at many companies.

Depending on how long you have been working, BK employees also get paid sick time and paid vacation days.

Not too shabby, especially if you have other family members in need of medical coverage.

2. Perks

If you enjoy the food that Burger King offers, then as an employer you’d be in luck.

During your shift you’ll eat for free and have access to unlimited beverages.

There’s also an employee discount.

When not working, you can use your 50% employee discount to buy food for yourself, as well as family and friends.

3. Flexible Schedule

If you need a flexible schedule, Burger King could be the place for you.

When starting out, you’ll probably be offered part-time hours, but that will increase the longer you’re there.

However, if you are a student, have another job, or need time for your family, you can tell the manager when you are available to work and they will usually be able to accommodate you.

4. Friendly Coworkers

Though most every job has people you’ll clash with, many Burger King employees report that they get along with their fellow employees, and even the managers.

It’s a team atmosphere where everyone helps each other out.

This allows for forging friendships and close relationships with coworkers.

It makes sense, since many employees are close in age, and often live in the same area.

5. Promoting From Within

Burger King corporation believes that managers and shift supervisors should have experience as floor workers.

After all, a manager needs to be familiar with everything from cash registers and the menu to working on the grill and fryer.

So long-term employees, with a good track record, have a great chance of being promoted to a higher level (and better paying position).

6. Gain Valuable Work Experience

Even if your not planning a lifelong career at Burger King, you can learn valuable skills to take with you.

You’ll be educated on a bit of everything including customer service, safety, cooking, food safety, how to use a cash register, teamwork, and patience.

These are skills that are transferred to many other jobs.

Employers often look for people that have worked successfully in a cooperative environment.

Burger King will look good on a resume.

7. It’s A Good Workout

If you like to be on the go and moving around, then BK is a job to consider.

There’s plenty of walking around throughout the day and your body is constantly in motion.

So you don’t have to worry if you missed your daily workout, because you got one at work.

You also can feel less guilt for eating those free fries.

8. Close By

There are a lot of Burger Kings, so chances are there’s one near you.

Your commute time could be quick.

It’s also great for people who don’t drive or are trying to save money.

This makes it easier for students to hold a job as well.

On nice days, you could just walk or ride a bike to work.

Cons Of Working At Burger King

1. Physically Demanding

Working at Burger King can be fast paced and hectic.

Workers must be quick on their feet to get customers served quickly.

You’ll be on your feet most of the day.

There may also be some heavy lifting, cleaning, and other duties that require physical exertion.

So, if you have certain conditions that may keep you from performing those duties, or if you just don’t like physical activity, this is not the job for you.

2. Customers

Though most fast food customers just want to get their food and go, there are those that like to make a fuss.

The ones that think they are dining at a 5-star restaurant or are entitled to special treatment.

We’ve all seen videos of people trying to complain just to get free food.

The ones that hold up the line because they only got 10 ketchup packets instead of 11 like last time.

Unfortunately, this is part of food service.

You will sometimes have to have the patience of a saint.

Take a deep breath and smile. If you don’t, they will call corporate.

3. Lack Of Respect

Feeling unappreciated and disrespected happens in most jobs at some point.

But many Burger King employees report feeling like their job is not important to customers, some managers,and the general public.

They are made to feel ashamed that they work at Burger King.

Rude customers look down their noses at employees and treat them poorly.

Even some managers forget that they too, at some point, we’re floor workers and make unreasonable demands and yell.

4. Poor Raises

Though the initial pay may seem OK, (since it has to meet minimum wage requirements), it can take a while to get a raise.

Even then, some workers have reported getting raises of as little as 10 cents an hour.

While this would be unacceptable for anyone, a small raise like this can be especially harsh for someone trying to feed a family or even pay rent on their own.

5. The Work Is Repetitive

Though often fast paced and busy, some workers complain that the job is too tedious and boring.

Doing the same tasks day in and day out can become too much for people who crave variety and excitement during their day.

Looking at the same cash register or grill can get pretty boring.

So, if your looking for different things to do every day, this might not be the right place.

6. Understaffed

Some Burger Kings report being short-staffed.

This leads to workers being called in on their days off.

It also means that they will be asked to come in before or stay past their regular shift.

Longer wait times for service also becomes an issue in this case.

That in turn makes for cranky customers, which leads to cranky employees.

7. Poor Work Environment

Though it’s not everywhere, many Burger King employees have reported poor working conditions.

Some have stated that the facilities are unclean and infested with various rodents.

They’ve also said that break room areas are lacking in comfort, decor, and necessities like soap and towels.

Others report that injuries occur when the floors are not kept clean.

While others report burns happening when poorly trained coworkers are manning the fryers and grills.

8. Upper Management

There are many complaints about the expectations and general attitude of the upper management at some Burger King franchises.

Since most BKs are independently owned and operated, the expectations vary a lot.

Managers sometimes expect employees to perform duties that are not part of their job.

While others still are not supportive during an encounter with an abusive customer.

While some managers may just have an overall bad attitude.

These managers are known to be short of patience, unflexible, and downright rude to their employees.

An unsupportive, unkind boss can make for a toxic work environment.