Retail and F&B employees say chronic understaffing is forcing them to run entire shifts alone, sparking calls for more public understanding during service delays.
ONGOING staff shortages in the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors are placing increasing pressure on frontline workers, with many reporting that they are often left to manage entire shifts alone while handling queues, multiple responsibilities and demanding customers.
The issue has resurfaced in online discussions, with workers and employers calling for greater public understanding when service delays occur.
Many said the problem is driven not only by scheduling gaps, but also by last-minute absences and medical leave, which can leave a single employee to keep operations running during peak hours.
In a post shared by user @ashonesh, she urged customers to be more considerate toward staff seen working alone, explaining that they are often covering for absent colleagues.
She wrote that “staff is usually covering for others who didn’t come in or are on medical leave” while still trying to maintain operations.
She also shared a personal experience, saying, “I ended up crying because one of my staff got shouted at by a customer just because she was the only cashier and also handling the queue.”
The post resonated with other workers, many of whom shared similar experiences of being left alone during busy shifts.
One user said they had “once cried because a customer was angry they couldn’t get their order,” while another described having to manage the counter alone while emotionally overwhelmed.
Another commenter recalled being forced to serve customers despite staffing shortages and personal difficulties, including one case where a customer reportedly responded harshly, saying they did not care about the worker’s circumstances and simply wanted their order fulfilled.
Some users warned that repeated understaffing and lack of support can lead to burnout, creating a cycle where employees are stretched beyond capacity and later blamed for service delays.
