Natalie Brennan changed gears after an interview drew flak from netizens
After criticising millennials’ work ethic and facing backlash online, the general manager of bakery and cafe chain Muffin Break has clarified her comments and apologised.
Natalie Brennan changed gears after an interview with news.com.au went viral and drew flak from netizens. During the interview, Brennan called out millennials for turning down opportunities for unpaid internship and for what the article called their “obsession” with social media.
“There’s just nobody walking in my door asking for an internship, work experience, or unpaid work, nobody,” Brennan told news.com.au.
“Before that people would be knocking on your door all the time, you couldn’t keep up with how many people wanted to be working,” she said, pointing out how most candidates today think “they’re better than the job.”
Brennan also shared her views on millennials who are active on social media: “I think everybody thinks social media is going to get them ahead somewhere.”
“There’s definitely that inflated view of their self-importance because they have X amount of Instagram followers or this many likes. That’s dangerous,” she said.
Netizens who caught wind of the remarks criticised Brennan for allegedly exploiting young workers, and threatened to boycott Muffin Break.
Brennan, however, backtracked on Monday, claiming the interview “does not reflect my values or those of Foodco [owner of Muffin Break].”
“Every day for the last 25 years I’ve worked with young people who are motivated, passionate and hard-working,” she said. “This is as true today as it was when I started my career.”
“The unpaid work I referred to was supervised programs run through schools, TAFEs or universities, which provide valuable gained experience to people before they enter the workforce full-time.”
“I want to apologise for any misunderstanding or upset caused by my comments,” Brennan said.
Foodco also clarified its stance by issuing a separate statement: “Our policy is, and has always been, that all employees including interns, employed either directly or through our brands, are paid according to relevant awards.”
