EVERY job has its trials and tribulations. And working in it, employees may come across certain cultures within the industry that simply don’t make sense.
Take for example a lady who recently went viral for complaining about the retail or food and beverages (F&B) industry which does not allow its workers to sit down even if there is no work to be done.
“Until now I cannot understand the logic behind this. What kind of culture are we following?” she said among other things.
Her rants have since garnered various feedback from netizens who attempted to shed some light into the situation.
Baik la akak ni luahkan kenapa kerja retail atau f&b tak dibenarkan duduk sepanjang bekerja 🤔 pic.twitter.com/p9stfvmv9Q
— kamaghul deghaman (@kamaghul) June 12, 2025
According to netizen @blairwen, this was similar to the retail at UK such as Primark, Zara and all the other brands at Oxford Street. “You cannot sit. Those who can sit are the cashier only,” he said.
@fatihwho_ added that she once worked at Shell. Not only is she not allowed to sit when there was no customer, but she had to keep her phone too.
Similarly, @evertayc who worked at MCDonalds was scolded by the manager just when he was about to take a seat.
One netizen pointed out that this was because there was no such thing as the work was completed in the retail or F&B sector.
“There will be work that needs to be done. Even if there are no customers, there will be work to be done well, whether the kitchen or the waiter,” she said.
“What I don’t understand the most is working six days in a week and the pay is bad,” said @Icelattepanas.
On another note, @TokK78Only pointed out that those royal guards at Buckingham Palace had it worse. They were not allowed to move, and were forbidden to make any facial expressions.
Then there was @M1RZ413 suggesting that the management prepare a resting room where the workers could sit on standby while they wait to welcome any customers. But there were problems too.
According to @M1RZ413, the shop will look empty and unmanned, a bad presentation for the business. “To hire people to take turns, it will be costly too,” she lamented.
Perhaps @M1RZ413 may have found the answer to this problem. Away from tradition, employers also believe that seated staff appear lazy or inattentive, creating a negative impression. Standing is seen as promoting readiness and professionalism. —June 13, 2025
Main image: @kamaghul
