The Burger King employee who achieved viral fame last month for running an entire restaurant alone for an incredible 12 hours has now provided a bleak update.
Nykia Hamilton garnered praise on the internet after her tireless efforts at one Burger King branch in Columbia, South Carolina in July. Reports at the time detailed how the mom-of-three was the only employee working that day, meaning she had to organize and see to all the stations by herself, including the front desk, the drive-thru counter, and of course the making of the food itself.
“[She’s] doing the fries, the burger, the chicken sandwiches. She’s doing everything by herself,” one customer who filmed Hamilton said, in a clip that later went viral.
“She’s doing everything she needs to do to make sure everybody is okay in here.”
Speaking to WACH Fox 57, the woman herself explained that she was working alone due to a staff shortage brought about when someone quit the company on short notice.
“Had to do the dishes, do prep, do the floor, do the front counter, drive-thru,” Hamilton said in an emotional interview.
Admirable work ethic, I think we can all agree.
And yet just one month later the reward for her stepping up to the plate seems to have come in the form of never having to do so again… because she’s been fired!
Taking to TikTok, the single mother provided an update to say that she had lost her position at the restaurant due to her being late on account of her children.
“[Burger King] fired me because I’ve been late because of my kids,” the 25-year-old said. “My kids come first. Y’all don’t pay for no babysitter, or nothing.
“I’m already aggravated, I’m already depressed, all of this mental s***, and motherf****** fucking with me, so leave me alone.”
Hamilton set up a GoFundMe page in the days after losing her job and has received over $72,000 in donations at the time of writing.
Prior to her untimely dismissal, the mom-of-three had explained how she often worked shifts over 12-hours long.
“I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” she explained. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them, and it hurts me a lot.”