Many companies are having trouble finding people who are willing to work for minimum wage. Maybe that’s because a lot of those minimum wage jobs have pretty toxic work environments. We’ve heard of both a Burger King restaurant and a Family Dollar store where the employees all quit and posted a sign to customers that read, “sorry for the inconvenience.”

Burger King and Family Dollar aren’t exactly similar places to work. One is a fast food restaurant commonly known for burgers and a drive-thru. The other is a store where people buy a wide range of things for a dollar. In both cases the work environment was quite toxic, but was one worse than the other?

Twitter user @bluehoodiebaby tweeted one sentence that has sparked a big debate about who has it worse, people who work in retail or food service. The question was simple. “If you have worked in food service AND retail which is worse?” Twitter did not disappoint with the responses. 

Scroll down to see why some people feel strongly that food service has it worse and why others are positive that retail is the most toxic work environment.

1. 1 Vote for Retail

   imagine folding clothes only to be messed up by consumers. repeat for 8 hrssephora patriarchal af; men can clock in w a bare face but girls get policed all day or sent home if u have no makeup. putting a face on is required labor of 10-60 min u’ll never be paid for. hair too.

   — weed cough (@binxramos) August 23, 2021

2. 1 Vote for Food Service

   Both are evil, but food service is so much worse. The expectations from customers, some of whom treat Black and Minority workers like they own us is ridiculous. Working at hooters A woman threw chicken wings at my head because I forgot to bring blue cheese dressing. WTF

   — Will work for crawfish △⃒⃘ (@nolanisk) August 24, 2021

3. 2 Votes for Food Service

   Food Service.Retail sucks and is either boring or annoying, but food service is annoying AND disgusting and you can’t even hide in the backroom for a while.Maybe in the freezer, but you can’t really stay in there very long.

   — Neil DeGrassi Highson (@funkpwer) August 23, 2021

4. 3 Votes for Food Service

   Food. Not even close. All the standing your entire shift of retail combined with your face breaking out because cooking grease in the air.

   — Just a robot that dispenses massage (@SensualCMT) August 23, 2021

5. 2 Votes for Retail

   I worked at Joanns, try explaining to a non crafty person that printed fleece will never match up on both sides no matter how straight you cut it. And she wigs out and then find out the price AFTER you cut it all and returns it. Repeat daily.

   — ℜ𝔢𝔟𝔢𝔠𝔠𝔞 𝔏𝔶𝔫𝔫 (@xxrlr_) August 24, 2021

6. 4 Votes for Food Service

   Food service…It could be McDonald’s and people will act like you serving the last meal known to man.

   — The Antagonist (@SUPREMECEO) August 24, 2021

7. 5 Votes for Food Service

   I’ve worked both for over a decade and honestly I would say even tho the money for waiting table is better; the treatment is FAR worse than retail. In retail I can choose to not help you and still get my hourly pay, w serving even if I’m the best ever some people still don’t tip.

   — Pluto Summers🛸 (@killer_pluto) August 26, 2021

8. 6 Votes for Food Service

   Food service 100%. Especially bc it so understaffed! I was taking, making, and taking out orders, all at the same time. My hands were fried bc of all the times I had to wash my hands. Customers were rude asf. I think I’m the 2 yrs I worked there, I only got abt 2 breaks.

   — ♡❂chani chani haechanie❂♥ (@bidibidihykhyk) August 24, 2021

9. 7 Votes for Food Service

   Food. Oh god, def food service. Clients are much ruder and more entitled. I had someone put a stack of $1’s on the table and told me it was my tip and took one off the pile any time something wasn’t to their liking. This person wasn’t the worst. By far.

   — ButYouDontLookAutistic (@ButAutistic) August 23, 2021

10. 3 Votes for Retail

    Retail 100%. Food service at least pays ok.

    — Brian 👁️ (@Lefty_Jew) August 23, 2021

11. 4 Votes for Retail

    Retail. If I go hell, it’ll just be an endless looping cycle of folding panties and the mortification of harassing customers into buying things while a manger yells into my ear piece that I’m not being pushy enough. Retail is like, training for hell.

    — jessica (@jesslanai552) August 24, 2021

12. 5 Votes for Retail

    Oof. Hard one. Gonna say retail, but specifically grocery. Something about a grocery store turns customers into slobs. I’ve found chicken bones ( from hot bar), fruit pits, packaged meats, ice cream all just left on shelves.

    — Biebsy (@dangerern) August 24, 2021

13. 8 Votes for Food Service

    Food service as a bartender or server is far worse than any retail or back of the house food job I’ve had. No matter what the mistake is, whose fault (cook, customer, your own) you always take the worst of it from the customer.

    — Superlastcall (@TeaNTorso) August 24, 2021

14. 6 Votes for Retail

    Retail 100%. Managers are horrible and will abuse their power frequently. One time I had a medical emergency and got my shifts covered on my own. She didn’t believe me, made me come in on a shit ton of painkillers, and sent me home after an hour of being there🙃🙃

    — Kelly💕 Chocobo Whisperer🐥 (@chocobowhisperr) August 24, 2021

15. 7 Votes for Retail

    Remember that scene from AHS Apocalypse where Madison was sent to rearrange and fold towels after dealing with an endless line of costumers? There’s a reason why that was her hell and I’m pretty sure that was my hell working in retail.

    — Aries Roivas (@AriesRoivas) August 26, 2021