People call out tea shop for sealing their employee's phones in boba cups during shifts

If one is employed at fast food chain establishments, then the employees might be aware of how hectic the work hours can get. They don't have enough time to relax and scroll through their phones leisurely during the rush hour at business. In most cases, employees are provided personal lockers to put their belongings away before clocking in but it seems this bubble tea shop has found a rather absurd way to keep the employees from using their cell phones during service hours.

Kung Fu Tea, a brand that sells bubble tea in Gallatin, Tennesse and is located about 40 miles northeast of Nashville, has recently raised the eyebrows of bubble tea lovers and the internet alike. In a promotional video on their official TikTok page @kungfuteagallatin, the establishment shows how they lock away the cell phones of the employees into plastic cups and then seal them with the help of a machine.

This is only their fourth video on the TikTok page and it has surprisingly gone viral with over half a million views since it was posted. In one clip, a person is shown putting a cell phone in an empty plastic cup which is used to serve bubble tea. Then someone pushes the "manual operate" button on the machine which seals the lid on the boba cup, effectively encasing the phone. It is evident that no one will be able to access the phone until they tear the glass apart. The cup is later placed high on a shelf with the phone still in it.

“Getting your phone taken away at work be like,” the text overlay on the video read. The Kung Fo Tea chain is relatively a new boba drink-selling outlet that was founded in Queens, New York back in 2010, per their website. So far, they have opened more than 350 outlets all over America. The site’s careers page notes that members of the team will have a chance to “work in a dynamic and exciting environment, interact with diverse customers and colleagues, and develop valuable skills and experience.” However, there is no specific mention of their phones getting sealed away while clocking in their shifts.

The video succeeded in sparking curiosity amongst people whereas others expressed their shock while trying to understand the point of the advertisement. @thevoidlistening wrote: "This advertisement has failed to make me want to buy tea at your establishment." @wordlessforever2 shared a personal experience: "My manager once yanked my phone out of my back pocket once I screamed that it wasn’t okay."

@ashleynehl quipped: "They can’t do that because it’s not their property it’s your property." @alexis.669 remarked: "My job makes you put your phone into a phone box with everyone else's phones right when you clock in. We can't even have our phones with us." @lithiumfox added: "I swear if I found out that any company did that to their employee I just would not shop there." Even though we aren't certain if the employees at Kung Fu Tea actually had to seal up their phones or if it was just an act for a promotional video, there have been cases where employees hardly bothered about anything while clocking in or out.

A McDonald's employee who goes by @cactusmvrkss on TikTok went viral while taking his 30-minute long break from work and peacefully munching on the McNuggets as the overlay text on the video read: "I know you’re on break, but we’re really struggling." In the video, an employee named Mario Scott did not move after he received this information about a supposed rush. He looked unperturbed, sat in his booth and finished his meal.