Video of sleeping Burger King employee goes viral

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CHEEKTOWAGA – A local Burger King employee is getting unwanted attention on social media after a Facebook video showing her napping on a piece of cardboard went viral Sunday afternoon.

The video shows an employee of the Burger King at 4199 Union Road napping on a piece of cardboard outside the restaurant Sunday afternoon.  Angelo Butera filmed the video and posted it to his account after he saw the woman while he and his roommate were next door at the 7-Eleven.

He tells Cheektowaga Chronicle he shot the video for evidence in case the woman had overdosed.

“I didn’t know what was going on so in case anything happened I was just trying to record it for evidence that if anything did happen, I would have proof or whatever if anyone was going to ask questions,” Mr. Butera said.  “I wasn’t trying to make fun out of her, I just drove by and seen this girl lying face down on the concrete, so I was making sure she was okay, and the video happened.  I just wanted to know why she was on the ground.”

He had no interaction with the employee before or after the video was shot.  He added that he wanted to post the video because he questioned why the managers would allow the employee to sleep outside the building.

“I get that people are tired and sleep on their breaks at work, or sleep in your car, even if she was behind the building, but right in front of the building, I think its bad for business,” added Mr. Butera.  “It made me sick inside almost.  I just didn’t want Burger King anymore after that, so I just pulled off.”

A portion of the video posted by Cheektowaga Chronicle was edited from the original version to protect the identity of the employee.

Cheektowaga Chronicle reached a manager at the Burger King location by phone Sunday.  She didn’t want to be identified by the Chronicle but says social media blows things out of proportion and the employee was doing nothing wrong.

“We don’t have outside seating, so she was sitting on the sidewalk trying to take her break which she is allowed to do under the Labor Law,” the manager said.  “Social media is completely blown out of proportion, and people take pictures of stupid things just for their own likes.”

She says the employee is upset the video is going viral and that she is working additional part-time jobs to help pay bills.

“She’s a teacher, and she’s trying to pay off her student loans and everything by working several jobs, and this is not the media she needs,” the manager said.  “People need to mind their own business and find out the real story before they go posting crap on social media.”

The video garnered over 800 shares, 900 likes, and 250 comments within four hours of being posted Sunday afternoon.  The irony of the viral video is Facebook isn’t the poster’s preferred social media platform.

“I don’t even go on Facebook that much,” Mr. Butera added.  “My friends and family are on there, and I just wanted to share it with my friends.”

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