Waffle House workers protest outside of the company's headquarters in Norcross, Georgia on Nov. 9, 2023, demanding higher pay and better security. (Marlon Hyde/WABE)
A Clark Atlanta study reveals that Waffle House workers face hostile environments, low wages and a lack of benefits. It found that its workforce consists mostly of women and Black people.
Waffle House’s CEO said in a 2024 video that base pay for servers would rise to at least $5.25 per hour by next month.
Joseph Jones says that may not be enough. He is a professor of political science at Clark-Atlanta University and led the research.
“So inflation has gotten higher, gas has gotten high. So you can imagine that whatever gains they were able to get from the organization have pretty much dissipated,” said Jones.
When it comes to pay, the study found some workers earn as little as $3.50 per hour under tipped-wage structures
Researchers at the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at Clark Atlanta University surveyed about 35 Atlanta Waffle House workers for the research study.
“One of the things that we were really struggling with is one, access to the workers, and two, when we would get access to them, a lot of them have left. So we wanted to, we really wanted to talk with workers who were still employed, you know, and had an experience that they can speak to in real time,” said Jones.
The report also shows that almost 40% of workers received their schedules within a week or less.
“That makes it very, very hard for working people to get childcare, to get transportation in order for them to actually get a job. So one of the things that we believe is happening is that there’s a high turnover in Waffle House workers just simply because of scheduling,” said Jones.
Jones says lawmakers should look into this.
“I think the fair thing is, in regard to scheduling, having a fair scheduling and reporting act, right? I think the Georgia legislature can actually pass that to make certain that companies are able to provide some predictability around how low-wage workers can plan their lives,” said Jones.
A Clark Atlanta Study reveals that Waffle House workers face hostile environments, low wages, and a lack of benefits. It found that its workforce consists mostly of women and Black people. (Courtesy of Clark Atlanta)
The executive director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for the Studies in Public Policy says that about a third of workers reported experiencing racial discrimination.
“So the vast majority of black people live in the South. And so they’re the ones that have to endure a lot of this discrimination that is actually falling upon them,” said Jones.
A smaller share stated they have faced discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to actually do this research, to elevate those voices and let people know that in 2026 or at the time in 2025, you know, these are still issues that we’re dealing with around race and gender in regards to discrimination,” said Jones.
A Clark Atlanta Study reveals that Waffle House workers face hostile environments, low wages, and a lack of benefits. It found that its workforce consists mostly of women and Black people. (Courtesy of Clark Atlanta)
Waffle House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The findings are part of the Advancing Black Workers in the South research initiative. The research was conducted by a group of scholars across multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a Minority-Serving Institution as part of a project supported by grants from WorkRise and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
