KFC Offers Free Chicken to Australian Postal Workers After Employee Dismissal
Fast food chain's gesture follows a ruling where an Australia Post worker lost his job after an unapproved visit to a KFC on company time.
KFC Australia has offered free chicken meals to Australia Post employees following the dismissal of a postal worker who visited a fast-food outlet during his shift. The worker, who had more than 30 years of service with Australia Post, lost his bid to be reinstated after the Fair Work Commission (FWC) upheld the postal service's decision.
The FWC heard that the worker, from Newcastle, made an unapproved visit to a KFC in his delivery van for about an hour during a shift on May 7, 2025. This occurred outside of his allotted 30-minute unpaid lunch break and without prior notification to his supervisor.
During the hearing, the tribunal was presented with several instances of misconduct. The postal worker reportedly told his supervisor that he planned to "have some fun for the next two years" before retiring, which was interpreted as "playing games" with the company. In one month, the worker accrued 19 unexplained absences and failed to respond to 17 messages from management, which he attributed to a belief they might be scam texts.
The worker presented medical certificates indicating an "acute stress reaction," after which Australia Post adjusted his workload and reduced time pressures. However, the commission deputy president Tony Saunders ruled that the dismissal was justified due to the "grave nature" of the misconduct and the employee's "ongoing failure and refusal to co-operate with their employer."
In response to the case, a KFC Australia spokesperson stated that the company understands how cravings can strike at any time. To ensure future visits are "official business," KFC is sending out "very urgent postcards" addressed to themselves, which postal workers can deliver directly to a restaurant counter for redemption of a free Zinger Box meal. "Consider it postage paid in chicken," the spokesperson added.
Australia Post welcomed the FWC's ruling, with a representative stating, "We play an important role in delivering for the community and have high standards of conduct for all team members."