TikToker sparks debate after lashing out at Panda Express for denying her a break

A Panda Express worker has ruffled feathers on TikTok after exposing that the company gave her no breaks over an eight-hour shift.

In the video, TikToker ‘salina.555’ gives viewers an extended story about a ‘shift lead’ refusing to give her a legally mandated break.

Starting with asking “can I get my 10 today?” Salina alleged that her shift lead outright stated: “We don’t have a person that’s open on a drawer, I don’t think we’ll have time to give you a break.”

Escalating it, the Panda Express employee approached the store’s general manager who supposedly confined as much. “Yeah, you should be able to get your 10-minute break,” the said, according to the TikToker.

Panda Express is best known for its buffet-style service and ‘Gourmet Chinese Food’

Eventually, Salina.555 was told “you can get your 10 after you’re done closing your drawer.”

Closing out her description of the situation, the TikToker said that in the end, “she didn’t give me my break. I didn’t finish counting my drawer until 5:11/5:12 PM, and then she wanted me to take my break after that. I’m like girl, I’m supposed to be going home. What do you mean?”

With Salina.555 working out of California, it’s fair to assume this was a local Californian Panda Express, making her account of the story a direct flaunting of local labor laws.  “Paid 10-minute rest period for each four hours worked or major fraction thereof; as practicable, in middle of each work period.”

The comments section was heavily on the side of the TikToker, sharing similar experiences with Panda Express and offering advice on how to deal with the situation.

One user reiterated the bare minimums that Panda Express should be meeting: “You were there from 9-5 and didn’t take a break and a lunch? Thats illegal at our Panda we get 10’s for four hours and a 10 and 30 for more than six hours.”

@salina.555

#fyp #storytime #panda #pandaexpress #work #nobreakshere

♬ original sound – salinnnaa????

Calling out Panda Express directly, another commented “Panda Express is this how you treat your valued employees? I will be on strike until this girl gets paid out!”

Finally, sharing a cry of escalation, the advice was offered to Salina to take this as far as she possibly could “Hell nah girl, you could take this to HR and sue. This is very much illegal.”