A Burger King Employee Who Went 27 Years Without A Day Off Now Has $400K Through GoFundMe
People weren't happy about how the company was treating him.
A Burger King with a modern look.
The daughter of a Burger King employee has raised over $400,000 for her father through a GoFundMe that was launched last year.
Seryna Ford, the daughter of Kevin Ford, a 54-year-old cook and cashier at Burger King, first set up the thriving donation page in June of 2022 after Kevin went viral for showing off the lacklustre gift the fast food giant gave him in honour of his 27th work anniversary.
The clip showed Ford standing in the kitchen at work and going through his 27-year goodie bag. The bag included a Starbucks tumbler, Lifesavers candies, mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, some pens and a movie ticket.
The not-so-thoughtful gesture was not received well on social media, where users rallied in support of Ford, who also claimed to have never taken a sick day, with some even going as far as to call out Burger King on Twitter.
"He has worked at his job for 27 years, and yes, he has never missed a day of work. He originally began working at this job as a single father when he gained custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago," Seryna Ford wrote, before adding that her father stayed at the job because of its full healthcare coverage.
"My dad continues to work there because though he does look young, he is coming up on retirement age and leaving would cost him his retirement. In no way are we asking for money, or is he expecting any money, but if anyone feels like blessing him, he would love to visit his grandchildren," she added.
When the news of the underwhelming gift first hit the headlines, Burger King was prompt to respond. A spokesperson told TMZ that the gift was part of a "peer-to-peer reward in recognition of a short-term positive performance/experience."
They were quick to add that this wasn't the sum total of their recognition strategy.
Burger King further detailed that the franchise owner operates a "robust employee recognition program," recognizing not just longevity but other achievements, complete with "tenure milestones and monetary awards."
Right, well, no matter how good BK's program is, this 400k is likely by far the best retirement gift Mr. Ford will ever get.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.