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North Carolina fast food restaurant offering same-day pay to employees to improve workplace culture

Management at the Harrisburg location said staffing shortages have been the biggest challenge over the past six months.

HARRISBURG, N.C. — Payday could be coming much more quickly for employees at the Sonic Drive-In in Harrisburg thanks to a new tool allowing workers to get their cash more immediately.

Daily Pay has a mission: "Work today, get paid tomorrow." Once employees sign up, they have the option to take out a portion of their earnings nearly on a daily basis. 

For a small fee, the money would go straight into an employees' registered bank account.

WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.

“People should have access to the money they earn — today, tomorrow and things of that nature instead of having to wait to get their paycheck," Sonic director of operations Chuck Buckman said.

Buckman added that Sonic in Harrisburg just launched Daily Pay last week and already at least 20% of the staff has signed up. The hope is that the incentive might help with recruiting more applicants to apply and once hired have employees stick around.

"Just trying to get a competitive edge and find something that no one else is really doing out there," Buckman said.

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Another goal, according to Buckman, is to improve the overall work experience for fast food and restaurant employees who have been hit hardest by the pandemic woes of staffing shortages.

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“We’re just trying to also change internally and provide the most positive cultures we can within the restaurant and have a better climate for people to work in," Buckman said.

Those interested in learning more about the open positions at Sonic can find details on the application process on Sonic's website. 

Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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