McDonald’s might just owe their employees some McCoins.
The large fast-food chain already has beef (pun intended) with their unsatisfied customers (who waste no time venting on Twitter their utter disappointments) and competitors, (who too, are quick to throw shade via Twitter and other media outlets). You would think then, that McDonald’s would try to remain on good terms with at least, their employees.
Not the case.
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Some of us might recall the pledge that the billion-dollar franchise made a couple years back to raise the hourly wages of their employees. McDonald’s has broken its 2015 promise to pay the 90,000 workers at its corporate stores an increase of $1 an hour above the local minimum wage. If you were—or are—in fact, an employee, you likely were enticed by the promising ring of getting paid a whole dollar more, for what it’s worth. If you were a friend of an employee, you too, cheered along in support of the good news. But, all in vain because as it turns out, the fast-food pioneer has yet to pay up, and the employees are NOT lovin’ it.
‘It was all a publicity stunt.’ McDonald’s is yet to raise anybody wages.’
- Gracia Salazar (Twitter)
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With over 36,000 locations worldwide, McDonald’s definitely has a global presence, and its huge, yellow M signifies the American icon at a glance. McDonald’s made the announcement of its decision to increase wages three years ago at the peak of the worker protests, demanding higher pay. (Not too much to ask, granted how much the company makes at the expense of low-paid employees.) At the time, CEO Steve Easterbrook said the increase was in response to employee surveys and was about delivering “better customer service.” He ain’t foolin’ nobody!
Either way, nothing has been done towards upholding the promise made years ago to workers which says a lot about how critical “customer satisfaction” is to the restaurant.
They can take some business advice from someone like George W. Jenkins (founder of Publix supermarkets) who advocated that great customer service starts with employees—making them feel considered and appreciated. An unhappy worker will never perpetuate the positive and welcoming visage or attitude that is very necessary for the success of any business.
The leak that McDonald’s is lying about wage increases in corporate stores is only a small head-lining example of how they—the world’s second-largest private employer—mistreat their employees. It seems like this restaurant is always making headlines but this time, it may not look too good for McDonald’s. They spend millions on marketing themselves in a desperate effort to maintain honorable mention as “America’s best first job.”
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But workers have had it. They are, together with millions of other fast-food chain employees, uniting to fight for $15/hr and the right to form a union without retaliation. I’m all for the movement because after all, people are working for organizations that make a vast profit at the expense of their underpaid labor. That profit ought to be geared towards workers’ wages and perhaps, I don’t know…pitch a couple dollars in to fix the ice cream machine.
Courtesy: Giphy