Freshii has a new employee on board named Percy. Except this particular worker appears on a screen and only makes $3.75 an hour…from Nicaragua.

The popular food chain has a virtual video-calling device attached to its cash registers in a few locations across Toronto, lighting up when customers approach the counter to place an order.

On the other side of the screen sits someone like Percy, a person based in Central American who makes a fraction of what the average Ontario minimum wage employee makes.

Freshii has adopted this new virtual technology in hopes of "assisting [its] partners in managing costs and protecting profitability" and has spoken of other upcoming "labour optimization programs in development" in a recent corporate filing.

A recent article in the Toronto Star suggests that Freshii's virtual cashier system has been in operation since at least November.

Many Freshii customers have already encountered “Percy” — a video-calling device attached to cash registers at some locations in Ontario. Behind the screens are workers thousands of kilometres away in Nicaragua, making $3.75 per hour. https://t.co/SjxRtOD9aU

— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) April 26, 2022

The revelation has caused shock waves on social media and raised concerns about what this may mean for the future of work.

Hey @freshii -- you'll never get a penny from me again.

— Duane Rollins 🇺🇦 (@24thminute) April 26, 2022

Many are now demanding the company pay workers a living wage and for the Ontario government to take action.

Extremely disappointing @freshii, and even worse, exploitive. I will not be getting lunch at Freshii any more. #TOeats #cdnlab #cdnpoli

— Alan Deschamps (@DechampsAlan) April 26, 2022

Others have expressed their disgust with the virtual cashier, vowing to boycott Freshii until its new "labour optimization program" is terminated.

Woah, never buying @freshii again. The contempt for a #livablewage while promoting healthy lifestyle is repulsive. Stop outsourcing. Thanks for story @jacoblorinc

— Janet GMaxymiw (@JGmaxymiw) April 26, 2022

One of the underlying reasons for Freshii's adoption of a virtual cashier based in Nicaragua may have been the restrictions and economic environment from the past two years.

If your business exists because you pay workers as little as you can legally get away with then you aren't contributing to the community. You are exploiting it.

Freshii doing this is a sign of things to come. That workplace needs to unionize, immediately.

— Terry Hussey (@Terry_Hussey) April 26, 2022

Government restrictions on restaurants forced many to turn to technology in order to comply with lockdown rules and find cost efficiencies as sales declined.

In fact, a report published by the International Monetary Fund predicts an overall increase in outsourcing and automation, gradually increasing global inequality in the years to come.

For now, Freshii is in the spotlight. Many people have already spoken out, revolting against the healthy food chain’s business tactics and vowing to ditch their salads until virtual cashiers are gone for good.