Why People Can't Stand Working At Dunkin'

Dunkin' Donuts is a major name in the fast-food industry, especially when it comes to serving delicious donuts and hot coffee, but how does the brand stack up in terms of its work environment? If online testimonials are anything to go by, it seems like Dunkin' is falling short of some of its employees' expectations and letting them down. As one Redditor who claimed to have worked at Dunkin' for six years explained, the real issue with working there is the sheer amount of stress that employees are subjected to in such a fast-paced environment.

Another crucial point that they highlighted was the fact that not all outlets are equal, and this plays an important role in your work experience. "Something I'd keep in mind Is that not all Dunkin' [stores] are made equal. A big reason I stayed and did as well as I did was my amazing manager and coworkers," they wrote before adding that if a person doesn't get along with their colleagues on the job, it becomes harder to stay put. There's more to this story of working at Dunkin' Donuts, though.

In 2018, a Baltimore outlet came up with a sign that encouraged patrons to complain against Dunkin' employees who communicated in anything except English. Those who complained would even be offered complimentary food, as per the sign. This led to widespread media attention and the outlet was forced to get rid of the offensive sign (via Boston). Additionally, many lawsuits have been filed against Dunkin' outlets across the U.S. — including for failure to pay overtime and discrimination on the job.

Quora users who've worked at Dunkin' Donuts wrote that because it is such a fast-paced work environment, teamwork plays an important role in the job, but that it can be a difficult balance when a branch is understaffed. "...Most Dunkin Donuts franchises don't assign very many employees to work at the same time. For example, at the place I work at...even though it's unbearably busy...there [are] only three or four people per shift," they explained. A stressed staff dealing with customers — sometimes more than 400 per shift — some of whom are complaining about their coffee orders, can lead to a high employee turnover rate. One Redditor explained, "Most of our customers are rude, some are pleasant, others neutral. We get hollered at in front of customers daily. Almost nobody ever stays long after they're hired."

According to Glassdoor, out of 4,105 reviews, Dunkin' Donuts has an employer rating of 3.4 and only 54% of employees would recommend the job to a friend.

Of course, it's not all complaints. As one Dunkin' employee explained to Cosmopolitan, with each shift, there's free coffee, discounted food, a chance for tips, and sometimes Munchkins involved. "Me and my friends are weird there, we'll sing," the employee said of the environment. "When we start to get overtired, I don't know, we'll do strange things. We start talking in weird voices."