'Staff Quit' Sign Posted on Family Dollar Store as Employees Walk Out

A message that read "Staff quit! Y'all be easy" was posted on the door of the Family Dollar store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the former manager claimed the company was "very hard to work for."

Dodi Byrne, a resident of Pittsburgh's Garfield neighborhood, spotted the sign on Tuesday, according to a KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh report. Byrne told the media outlet: "It's been kind of shaky where it's hit or miss if they're going to be open when you come over because they'll say they don't have enough staffing."

The former manager of the Family Dollar store, Heather Berry, was one of the two employees who quit. She told KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh that the district manager expected her to work 105 hours a week as the store was understaffed.

When a storm hit Pittsburgh, the store lost power, but Berry was told to "hold tight until the power came back on," which it didn't until noon the following day. Berry said the temperature in the store reached about 102 degrees.

The manager was intending to wait out her two weeks' notice, but decided she couldn't take it anymore and quit, along with the store's only other employee. Berry said: "This company is very hard to work for."

Family Dollar told KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh in a statement: "Our Garfield neighborhood store is open for business. We are not able to comment on the employment actions or status of individuals out of respect for their privacy."

Family Dollar is far from the only business closing stores unexpectedly due to staffing issues.

There have been reports of similar "no staff" signs popping up at restaurants across the U.S. over the past few months.

Paper Signs Taped to Restaurant Windows

In May, Devita Davidson shared a collection of signs on restaurant windows on Twitter and said: "We're literally watching the largest labor movement in modern American history happen in the form of paper signs taped to the windows of fast-food and fast-casual restaurants!"

Signs on restaurants including Hardee's, Wendy's and Chipotle said that they were closed due to having no staff. One sign on a Hardee's window said: "Due to no staff, we are closed. We are hiring," while a Wendy's sign said: "We all quit!! Closed!!"

On Monday, a photo was circulating of a sign that read "We are closed because I am quitting and I hate this job," which was posted at a McDonald's drive-thru.

In response to the viral Twitter post, social media users shared similar signs they had spotted locally. Restaurants, including some McDonald's outlets, have reported struggling to hire enough staff in recent months.

Family Dollar store
A Family Dollar store in Chimayo, New Mexico. A sign reading "Staff quit! Y'all be easy" was posted at a Family Dollar store after its employees walked out. Robert Alexander/Getty

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go