Popular meryenda store draws mixed reactions as boss uses employees' lunch break for a meeting
Is it okay for bosses to use their employees' lunch breaks to conduct meetings?
Filipino meryenda store Lola Nena's drew mixed reactions after its co-founder shared that they "game plan" during lunch.
In a TikTok video posted on Sept. 3, Steffi Santana shared how her day as a boss goes. It showed her using the computer and reviewing documents. It would then show her sitting at the table with her staff, as drinks can be seen.
"Lately, na-realize namin that our teams on the ground need more training to be much more successful," Santana said in a voice-over, "and meet the quality that our customers deserve."
@lolanenas A day with my apo, steffi🫶🏼❤️ #lolanenas #fyp #bts ♬ original sound - Lola Nena
The video then shifted to Santana and her staff talking at the table while enjoying carry-out food from a chicken restaurant.
"Nandito kami to game plan," Santana continued.
"Siyempre, 'yung lunch, hindi lang 'yan break," the Lola Nena's boss noted.
"Isa pa 'yung chance to clarify and remind ourselves, 'Ano ba 'yung main goal natin?' and 'Paano ba natin make-keep 'yung sarili natin accountable to those main goals?'" she added.
The video showed Santana's other routines, such as visiting different branches and preparing for a photoshoot for a magazine.
Mixed reactions
Several TikTok users didn't approve of the practice, questioning why the lunch break became an extension of work.
"Let your staff have their lunch in peace, Steffi," one user said.
"Unless lunch is paid as OT (overtime), leave them alone," another user said.
A reposted video on X also got negative comments, with several users taking a swipe at Santana for supposedly making it about her.
"Oh no lunch time is quiet time to eat, relax, or cat nap. Anobayan," one user said.
"[L]unch break is not a paid break for ordinary employees, I think there is a displacement here in this video, mas mukhang personal/social promotion ito hindi nung brand...yun lang!" another user said.
Others, however, were more forgiving.
"[I]t's called lunch meeting and there's nothing wrong with that," one user said in the comments section of the original TikTok video.
"Hope maenjoy ng employees ang lunch. [N]o work discussion or anything... [Anyway], more success sa Lola Nena's!" another user said.
A user who claims to be a store manager, meanwhile, defended Santana, saying it was their way of "bonding."
"Since we are her managers, minsan nya lang kami makasama at mnmake sure nya na masarap ang pagkain namin everytime we see her sa office," the user said.
"Take note all for 'FREE' at ang sarap sa feeling, sa “minsan” na yun, napaka special lagi ng pagkikita," the user said in response to another commenter.
"[N]akikipag bonding po sya samin out of working hours... Lalo na po kapag may free time talaga sya, nakakapag unwind kami with her," the user wrote in another comment.
What an HR professional says
Nhei Naguit, a human resources manager at a retail company, emphasized the importance of breaks, stating that breaks are non-negotiable and should be prioritized in the workplace.
"It’s the time for employees to de-stress and to restart their minds," Naguit told PhilSTAR L!fe. "For you to have the best ideas from your people, they need to take a break from time to time. Lunch is one of those times that they can have time to relax, breathe, and recharge."
"Habang pinipiga mo kasi, lalong nauubos 'yung creative juices ng tao," she added.
Naguit pointed out that if the boss and staff would have lunch together, it must be an actual lunch without any work-related discussion.
"Okay lang to take your employees out to lunch pero para mag-bonding kayo talaga," she said.
Naguit advised employers to set clear expectations and agendas during work hours to minimize time extensions.
"Breaks are personal times. Make sure to give it to the employees to create an impact for productivity," she said. "Employees who feel their company respects their personal time would also respect their work time."
Wholesome, funny branding
The incident is an apparent setback to Lola Nena's wholesome and funny branding.
In August 2023, the store earned praise after sharing a job posting that apparently referenced—and served as a stark contrast to—the controversial post of fries brand Potato Corner.
While the French fry brand had a laundry list of qualifications for a service crew position which social media users dubbed "Miss Universe levels," Lola Nena's showed openness and inclusivity instead.
"We're not looking for beauty queens or math geniuses; we're looking for hearts that align with our mission to impart happiness and create meaningful experiences," it said, noting it values love, care, respect, warmth, and professionalism.
Last July, Lola Nena's went viral after a video showed a staff standing in front of its store as a car was backing up and was seemingly going to hit her—only for netizens to learn the staff was just superimposed.
On Sept. 8, it leveled up its "mini heart attack" game by doing away with superimposition or masking technique and putting the staff in question on the ground.
The video showed the staff standing outside the store with her legs tied and seemingly connected to a car behind her. As the car accelerates and the rope unspools, it turns out the rope on her legs isn't connected to the car at all.
PhilSTAR L!fe reached out to Santana and Lola Nena's for a comment on the issue but has yet to receive a reply.