Shake Shack Employee Reveals Dark Secrets You Won’t Believe

By Lauren Mccluskey 1 year ago

1. Shake Shack scores are way below average on workplace happiness

Image Source: Reddit.com
According to a survey carried out by the job site Indeed, the happiness rating for Shake Shack is way below average.  In fact, they only scored a 56% job satisfaction rating with only 58% of employees feeling happy at work most of the time.  This might not sound too bad but it is far below the average rating of 69% which isn't good news for Shake Shack!

2. The job can be demeaning

Image Source: Popsugar.com
Glassdoor
reviews reveal a lot about working for a company, and it did not disappoint when it came to Shake Shack.  One employee wrote that the job felt really demeaning and that they had a lack of support from their managers.  Shockingly, they also said that even their managers acted inappropriately flirty in this case.

3. They don't do tips

Image Source: Reddit.com
The founder of Shake Shack, Danny Meyer, spoke out about his stance on tips and urged the public not to do it in his fast food restaurants.  Many were shocked by his views on tipping but he stands by his beliefs, insisting that tipping is an unfair and other countries don't do it so much.

4. They believe tipping culture isn't fair

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Founder, Meyer, believes tipping is completely unfair, particularly to those staff who don't work directly with the public.  They wouldn't receive tips because they are working hard behind the scenes so there's some inequality there.  He also said that he believes that tipping is linked with systematic racism.

5. You have to work there for 90 days before you can reap the benefits

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Shake Shack offers many employee benefits, including sick pay, vacation pay, health, vision, and dental insurance, as well as retirement support.  But the catch is: you have to work there a whole 90 days to even have a chance of getting any of these useful perks.

6. Shift lengths vary a lot

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Shake Shack is a particularly busy fast food restaurant with lots of demands.  And there are lots of branches with differences in working conditions.  Some employees are said to work shifts between 4-8 hours, some average hours elsewhere are 6 hours and some have said that long double shifts are also available.  And this inconsistency can make some question their job security!

7. There are lots of high expectations

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One Reddit user stated that when they worked at Shake Shack, there were lots of really high expectations that they had to meet.  But the thing was, this particular user thought that even though there are quite huge challenges, it was one of the better fast food chains to work for.

8. The job can take over

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We've all had that issue where our job becomes such a major part of our lives.  And employees at Shake Shack are no different.  They work lots of hours, sometimes double shifts, sometimes split shifts, covering sickness, worrying about the job at home, and so on, until it leaves no toom for anything else.

9. There is a lot of 'strenuous physical activity'

Image Source: qsrmagazine.com
A search on 
Glassdoor
will bring you to many employee reviews of Shake Shack.  And from a few employees, it's clear that the job is physically demanding.  There's stock to carry around and employees are on their feet for sometimes more than 10 hours a day!

10. The job is non-stop

Image Source: Twitter
The popularity of Shake Shack means that employees are constantly busy and rarely get a rest.  Of course, Shake Shack maintains that it has legislation in line with workers' rights laws.  But the demand for the popular fast food is absolutely huge so no one's left with nothing to do.

11. The work environment is hectic

Image Source: The Business Journal 
And because it is so busy, the working environment can get pretty hectic.  It's an extremely fast-paced environment with lots of busy employees and hungry customers.  This might be appealing to some who like a challenge, and overwhelming to others...

12. The customers are demanding

Image Source: Reddit.com
If you've ever worked in a public-facing role, you'll know that customers anywhere can be demanding.  And Shake Shack employees are also very very familiar with them.  And sometimes employees enjoy meeting the demands of their customers but it all depends on their personalities.

13. There are no employee drug tests

Image Source: ShakeShack.com
In the US, it is increasingly common for companies to carry out employee drug tests and these can be regular tests or when someone first starts their new job.  But Shake Shack doesn't do this and has stated that they believe it was a pointless requirement and would put people off applying to work there.

14. There's room to grow

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On review on 
Indeed
said that it was very clear how they could progress as an employee at Shake Shack and there was a clear route to more senior-level roles.  This attracts lots of workers because they feel the job offers them prospects for the future and the skills gained would look good on their resume.

15. There's paid time off

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After 90 days, Shake Shack employees are able to start to accrue paid time off (PTO) which they can use for sickness.  And although this is capped at 40 hours, this is one of the many benefits that employees rank highly, according to an 
Indeed
survey.

16. Their process for paid time off has been described as 'inhumane'

Image Source: TripAdvisor
And despite the PTO being ranked highly on the employee benefits of working at Shake Shack, a trainer on 
Glassdoor
said that they believe the process of accruing the PTO was 'inhumane'.  They didn't say why this was though so it is still a bit of a mystery!

17. It takes ages to accrue vacation pay

Image Source: Reddit.com
Another benefit that Shake Shack employees get is vacation pay.  They are able to accrue their vacation pay over time and take paid time off work.  However, some employees have said that it is a lengthy process and takes absolutely ages to accrue a significant amount of pay.

18. They've got it covered when it comes to retirement

Image Source: Reddit.com
Amongst a few other benefits, Shake Shack also provides people with support in planning their retirement from work.  Something many people find quite daunting.  Many companies in the US provide a 401K retirement plan, and Shake Shack said it offers the common plan and also a company match too.

19.  They started out as a hotdog stand

Image Source: Reddit.com
We've all got to start somewhere, right?  And Shake Shack as we know it today, as an enormous and well-known chain of fast food restaurants, once started out pretty small.  In fact, it was once a single hotdog cart and has now evolved into a restaurant you can order a burger probably bigger than that cart!  (Yes, the one with 4 patties!).  Now that is what you call growth!

20. A peanut butter bacon burger is a thing!

Image Source: Reddit.com
That's right! A peanut butter bacon burger has been on the menu twice since Shake Shack started out and, although it's not on the menu now, they still have those ingredients...  Those in the know will be aware that you can actually order off-menu items and they'll make it up for you!

21. They have a secret menu

Image Source: Reddit.com
And this brings us to Shake Shack's 'Secret Menu'.  Yes, Shake Shack has changed their menu many times, and trialed new recipes.  Some of these took off and remained on the menu and some made their way onto the secret menu.  And if they know about it, customers can actually order those items!

22. They tried to make a root beer-flavored custard float

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One item that was trialed for a short while was the root beer float-flavored custard.  It was a bit of a flop and didn't seem to stay on the main menu for long but root beer lovers will be pleased to find out that customers can actually order it from Shake Shack's 'Secret Menu'.

23. You'll want to try their Quad Burger

Image Source: Reddit.com
You'll probably be able to guess why Shake Shack's famous 'Quad Burger' is called the 'Quad Burger'.  Yes - You've got it!  It's because this burger is pretty special.  And the reason for this is because it has FOUR patties on it.  So if you need to satisfy a burger craving - this is the one to go for!

24. You'll want to try their fries

Image Source: Reddit.com
Shake Shack's crinkly fries have been described as the best fast-food fries in the world.  And it's a good job because Shake Shack spent over $1 million trialing different cuts of fries.  They put the work in and definitely got some great results with their unique, crispy, crinkle-cut fries.

25. Tuna burgers were going to be added to the menu at one point

Image Source: Reddit.com
Shake Shack has always been known for trying out new unique recipes to stand out from a highly competitive industry.  And during the early days, they we thinking up some new ideas and actually thought about including a tuna burger on their menu for people to enjoy!

26. Their secret sauce ingredient is pickle juice

Image Source: Reddit.com
Fast food chains usually have a secret recipe for their tasty sauces.  And Shake Shack is no different in that department.  But allow us to let you into a little secret: the creamy orange sauce used on Shake Shack's burgers actually uses pickle juice for its unique taste! Bet you weren't expecting that1

27. They offer vision, dental, and health insurance

Image Source: Reddit.com
Another perk of working at Shake Shack is the benefit of getting vision, health, and dental care insurance through the employer.  Workers mostly feel that this is a good benefit of working for the chain when they are able to receive it after three months of working there.

28. But the cost is too high

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On
Glassdoor
some employees have expressed how expensive they find their insurance compared to other companies, especially when they add their families to it.  One employee also said that the insurance is too good to be true, stating that it is quite basic and doesn't provide substantial coverage.

29. They trialed a 4-day-week

Image Source: TheWallStreetJournal
Now, a 4-day-week sounds pretty impossible for fast food restaurants that are open all the time, but CEO, Randy Garutti, announced in 2019 that they were going to give it a try.  But in 2021, the perk was paused due to the pandemic, and Shake Shack announced it would no longer be offering it to managers  Instead, they pledged higher wages and better career progression.

30. The work/life balance is hard to work out

Image Source: Reddit.com
How much people want to invest at work is up to them but it has been found that a good work/life balance is key to success, both to an individual and to the company they work for.  But Shake Shack has been accused on 
Indeed
that a work/life balance for employees just doesn't exist.  But the thing is, others have actually said that work/life balance is good.  As we said, it's up to the individual how much time they invest in their work!
 

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