Office holiday parties can be a bit of a bore, but the owner of a Pennsylvania Chick-fil-A
shook things up by giving away some incredible gifts to her employees.
Aimee Hernandez, owner of Chick-fil-A Robinson in suburban Pittsburgh, held a drawing for
her 60 employees where the prizes included, among other things, a Toyota RAV4. The reason?
Hernandez told Newsweek,
"...[the employees are] the absolute best. They deserve the best of everything."
Of course, many of the chain's loyal fans share this sentiment about Chick-fil-A's famously
friendly workers.
Though the SUV was the most valuable prize, other items awarded to Chick-fil-A Robinson
employees at the holiday party included cash to cover one month's rent or mortgage payment,
a Louis Vuitton bag, a $1,500 Apple gift card, a PlayStation 5 bundle, $1,000 cash, a Nintendo
Switch, a Dyson vacuum cleaner, a big-screen television, and tickets to a Pittsburgh Steelers
game.
The winner of the RAV4 was an employee named Devon. Speaking to WTAE, Hernandez said she
had been praying Devon's name would be pulled for the big prize, as he'd had car troubles
and needed a reliable way to take his daughter to daycare.
A Twitter post from Chick-fil-A Robinson shared a video of the happy event, and followers
were definitely feeling the holiday spirit. One follower tweeted:
"This is so sweet. [...] I think it's wonderful that you show your gratitude to your employees."
A customer of the store chimed in:
"Y'all rock! This is my go-to CFA and you're always super busy, and very polite. Well-deserved!
Merry Christmas to you all."
On Instagram, CFA Robinson followers also loved the giveaway video, especially Devon's
emotional reaction to winning the SUV. One person wrote:
"This is so amazing!!! Absolutely love seeing that huge smile on Devon's face!"
A customer of this Chick-fil-A commented that Hernandez is the epitome of a hands-on employer.
"[Aimee] handed me my order; during a time when so many managers are at home leaving
their employees to work through staffing shortages. This gives me goosebumps...Merry Christmas
to the BEST CFA in the world!"
The Instagram post also noted that Aimee is already working on next year's holiday party,
which is sure to make employees happy.
The extraordinary holiday gift giveaway and show of employee appreciation at the Pennsylvania
Chick-fil-A is just one example of the company's overall mission of taking care of the people
who work in its restaurants. Per Business Insider, it's easy to look to Chick-fil-A's
menu or customer service as reasons why the chain is one of the most popular in the country,
but Chick-fil-A says it all comes back to how it supports its employees.
Examples of this support include spending more time and money to train Chick-fil-A staff
than other fast food chains. Franchise manager Kevin Moss said to Business Insider:
"The better we train, the longer people stay with us."
Plus, there are opportunities for advancement in the company, and Chick-fil-A helps workers
get college degrees, even if that means the employees eventually move on to other careers.
And as with the Chick-fil-A in Pennsylvania, franchise managers across the board step up
to help employees in times of need.
Fans are certainly loving Chick-fil-A Robinson's story about just how far one owner was willing
to thank her employees for all they do. And this spirit of generosity and caring has been
demonstrated by other business owners, too.
According to CNBC, both Nike and Bumble surprised their employees by shutting down the companies
for a week, giving everyone paid vacation time to destress. And in October, a video
of a staff event at women's clothing company Spanx went viral. Company founder Sara Blakely
announced that every employee would receive two first-class plane tickets to the destination
of their choice, along with $10,000 in spending money.
While not every company can give away new cars or plane tickets, there are plenty of
ways companies can and should support their employees, whether it's at a fast food restaurant
or another kind of business. Forbes notes that checking in with and supporting staff,
taking feedback, and making sure employees take time off for themselves are easy ways
to boost morale, prevent burnout, and keep workers around for the long haul.
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