Reddit Is Calling Out This Subway Location's Shortened Hours Excuse

You know how there are at least two sides to every story? Well, the current restaurant labor shortage is one such story. On the one hand, it would appear that thanks to a variety of factors, including illness-related absenteeism, COVID-19 deaths, pandemic-related mental health issues, and generous unemployment benefits that were simply too lucrative to turn down by going back to work, there are simply more jobs than there are employees willing to be hired for them — particularly in the restaurant and food service industries. On the other hand, there are those who maintain that it is not a "labor shortage" so much as a shortage of employers willing to pay a decent wage while treating the workforce with a modicum of decency. There are at least two sides, and both have their share of valid arguments to make. However, that doesn't mean you're under any obligation to hear both sides.

That's where niche social media groups like the Antiwork subreddit come in. The Antiwork subreddit is a community of around 750,000 who are united by a desire, however realistic or fantastical, to exit the workforce for good. Can you guess what happened when one user posted a photo of a sign they saw in a Subway restaurant window, which said, in effect, "We've been forced to slash our hours of operation because we can't find enough people willing to work" (via Reddit)?

Last week, Redditor "Garlic_Sause" posted to the Antiwork subreddit a photo of a sign tacked to a Subway restaurant front door. According to the sign, the restaurant cut its hours because "no one wants a job" or shows up for work. The user added a comment, "I ask the manager what the starting pay is, and he couldn't give me a straight answer." Many among the Antiwork community proceeded to scoff at the notion that there's a "worker shortage," when what they see through their own lens is yet another employer refusing to take responsibility for alienating potential workers.

"OMG why won't you work for free," joked Redditor SeverleyObeseRat. "Amazing what happens when you actually pay people," pointed out another in relaying an anecdote about a clothing store that "couldn't" find workers either — until it was willing to cough up $15 an hour.

Others suggested that there really is no shortage of labor; rather all this nonsense about not being "able" to hire enough employees is just smoke and mirrors attempting to disguise the fact that business is terrible. "Ya there is no worker shortage," commented CowBoyDanIndie. "I just wonder how many are just unwilling to pay more to get workers, and how many are really don't want to hire and are just playing a long because business is bad."