A Burger King worker in South Carolina has gained recognition for her dedication after being left to manage the store on her own when her coworkers left unexpectedly.
Nykia Hamilton, 25, shared her experience in a TikTok video posted on July 6. She explained, “One of my employees just left me and they had no one else, so I had to work on my own.”
She described her responsibilities that day: “We had to cook, prepare, manage the floor, front counter, and drive-thru.” It was a lot for one person.
In the viral clip, a customer praised Hamilton’s multitasking, noting, “She does fries, burgers, chicken sandwiches. She does everything herself.”
Normally, Hamilton works over 12 hours a shift to support her three children and expressed how her parental duties felt overshadowed by her job demands. “When I’m working a lot, I’m missing out on my child’s life,” she shared, holding back tears. “I have to provide for them, but I don’t have time to spend with them, and that hurts so much.”
The following day, another worker helped her, but the store still faced staffing issues, with Hamilton again closing alone on a later shift. “Last night I closed by myself again. It’s just that there are no employees. No one wants to work anymore,” she stated.
Hamilton expressed gratitude for her job and the ability to support her children. “I have a record, so it’s hard to find a job,” she admitted. “By God’s grace, she gave me a job, and that’s why I stayed,” referring to her manager.
A customer who captured Hamilton’s efforts on TikTok commended her dedication despite being left without help, stating, “She’s doing everything she needs to make sure everyone is okay here.” This sentiment was echoed in many comments, with viewers criticizing management for leaving her alone with the workload.
One user remarked, “This is unfair to her. She shouldn’t have to run the entire restaurant alone.” Another added, “Bless this beautiful queen! She deserves a raise and help!”
Some commenters encouraged Hamilton to start a GoFundMe to assist with her children’s expenses.
In light of the situation, Burger King responded, stating that having only one person working during a shift violates company policy. “At Burger King, our policy is that every restaurant requires multiple team members per shift,” said a spokesperson. “We’re working with franchisees to understand what happened and to take necessary action.”
