Duluth Wendy's owner is the latest example of business owners doing right by workers

[KansDem]

When a fire broke out near the pickup window of a Wendy’s restaurant in Duluth, it threatened not only the 30-year-old business, but also the jobs of nearly 30 full- and part-time workers.

A few days later, however, owner Bob Sullivan committed to rebuild, and while he’s doing so, he’ll pay workers’ salaries.

“Between the insurance money and ourselves, we hope to pay them as long as we can,” said Sullivan. “What if it takes six months? I don’t know, but we’ll do it as long as we can.”

The Duluth News Tribune got wind of Sullivan’s decision, and did a nice story, which in turn has brought the love from customers.

“We didn’t do it for publicity, we did it for selfish reasons,” said ­Sullivan. “Replacing good people is hard to do.”

--more--
http://www.startribune.com/local/244562651.html

A breath of fresh air!

[Orsino]

1. Is the corporation listening?

Because here's an opportunity for some wonderful PR, if they'll only stand behind the franchise owner.

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Yep ...

If the Wendy Corporation were to underwrite the cost of the employee salaries until the franchisee re-builds, they would be displaying a lot of goodwill ... that'll translate into customers. All for the low, low price of 1/1,000,000th of their quarterly profits.

[rurallib]

2. “Replacing good people is hard to do.”

The real lesson that all businesses must learn
Walmart is cutting its own throat with its "hate our own employees" policies

[mndemsocialist]

3. Is it something in the water?

Ah, another Minnesota employer does good by his or her employees! First it was Punch Pizza increasing pay levels for its employees, now this.

Seriously, as a new Minnesotan, one of the things that I admire most about this state is that the mentality that we need to take care of each other is still alive, despite the attempts of the g-d
d--n Republicans to turn this state into a cold Mississippi.

Cold weather may be a reason for this mentality. It creates a "we're all in this" thinking, as we pull each other's cars out of the snow drifts. So winter has its upside...

[gopiscrap]

9. Welcome to DU!

[redstatebluegirl]

5. Wish I lived there!

If I did, I would go at least a couple of times to support him even though I don't do the fast food thing much anymore since the doctor took all my fun away . Good for him!

[CFLDem]

6. Beats the Wendy's my wife works at

who nickels and dimes the workers to death.

[dorkzilla]

7. Turnover is so costly, I can't imagine smart business owners wouldn't do this...

…and though my story is on a much smaller scale, as some of you know I am opening a restaurant any day now. I was supposed to open nearly a year ago. I hired a small kitchen staff, then the delays started mounting due to circumstances way beyond my control. I have paid those guys for a 40 hour week every week since last April, and I am going to open this March. And you know what?? My guys are so loyal that even during the build out they would show up in a snowstorm so I didn't have to leave my house with my crappy-in-snow car to meet trades and sales people. For Christmas they bought ME a gift. I haven't done any of this for any other reason than a sense of fairness (FFS - its the RIGHT thing to do), and because of these guys I have a good crew ready to go for the rest of the house. I'm also paying from $1-3 more per hour than all the other restaurants in the area, so there's that.

Check in with me in a year, but I think I'm off to a good start!

[BrotherIvan]

10. Big pat on the back for you!

Please share your opening so people can come and say thank you in person and eat your tasty food. I hope someone in your area can hook you up with local press coverage because all fair and ethical businesses should reap the rewards!

Good luck!

[DesertDiamond]

8. I'm so moved, especially by the last line. Someone who values his workers! Amazing!