thinking that McDonalds announcement of 8000 new jobs is bad news

[twistedsista]

www.ibtimes.co.uk/mcdonalds-hiring-thousands-jobs-boost-uk-youth-1453298

Financial pundits were making out this is great news for the UK.

But really they don't pay well, so many people will be reliant on benefits while working, most people in the country are overweight and the NHS is collapsing due to diabetes and cancer! Yet this is supposedly good news?

Well I have had nothing but zero hour contracts for the last 2 years, so it is not just 'where I work' it has been in the last 4 places I have worked.

Lots of them in the care sector which is crap for the employee because it is basically the company covering their arses if anything goes wrong.

Most companies are not going to hire more staff than they need to, it is more paperwork than necessary, so there are going to be (often awfully timed) extra shifts going and things like that.

I hate zero hour contracts because they take away many employee rights but suggesting you cannot claim WTC while on them is simply untrue.

Not a fan of zero hours contracts- when I worked there quite a few years ago I'm pretty sure I was on a min. 16 hour contract and rarely was offered less than 30 hours a week. I must say I absolutely loved it- yes it's a fairly young workforce, so I made friends who have been my best friends ever since, had a fantastic social life, and learned some pretty useful skills to boot.

I gained a huge amount of weight when I worked there, but I'm certain I would have gained that weight wherever I worked (it started before, and continued forever after I left!). Interestingly now I've slowly started losing it, McDonalds is one of the easiest places to eat out when I'm watching what I eat- there are lots of options I can choose to get a reasonable meal that's not too naughty, nutritional information is readily available for everything. I go there maybe 3-4 times a year, and it's more of a convenience than a treat (bloody love a double cheeseburger though).

The only reason I absolutely have to use them is because I repair clean and clear vacated rental properties. Agencies don't know whether they need my services until a tenant vacates. I can go a week with no work and now at student changeover I know we will have work but not when or where!

Actually they are not bad employers. They might have zero hours contracts (I don't know, I suspect they have higher min contracts too) but that's not always a bad thing - for some people that kind of flexibility is good, and places that I have worked at with 0 hour contracts were happy to give me a minimum number of hours when I explained about the childcare issue. It's possible to claim WTC as long as you're working an average of 16hrs+ per week.

I don't know if it's still the case but a few years ago, McDonalds, at least our local one, provided childcare for their staff with children at a much reduced rate to the normal market rate which is fantastic.

Jobs are jobs, and they don't use workfare as far as I know so it can only be a good thing.

McDonalds are fab employers. I managed to get a mortgage on my pay there in 2005 (0 hr contract but working 60hr weeks), and a lot of companies recognise their internal management training as the best in the country. And I actually loved working there.

I don't know if McDonald's use zero hour contracts. As other posters have said, these aren't inherently bad and many people appreciate the flexibility both ways.

McDonald's scored extremely highly (at least top 10) in the last "best companies" survey for large employers. That means they're getting a lot of stuff right.

Also, a huge proportion of their management started in the entry level job. Their training and development is so good they are accredited to award NVQs and have their own university in America.

I'd be very happy if one of my DCs went to work there, I see it as a company that spots talent and invests in people

(By the way, I was doing 60hr weeks because i chose to, and as a 19 year old could do it! Could do opening shift 6-4 or 8-4, two hours extra pay made sense to me. A friend of mine at the time was working there 10-3 Monday to Friday so she could work around school)

The thing with zero hour contracts is that they are only a bad thing when you might be in a position where you get zero hours - or not enough to live on anyway. I'm on a zero hour contract but sometimes feel like begging for a week with zero hours!

Zero hours are horrible when you are on tax credits, LHA, when you need to access ANY form of credit.

Zero hour contracts are the worst when you have to go on sick leave.

Thats why companies do it, because then they don't have to pay out for when their employees get sick, even when the sickness is work related like mine was.

Or when you have to use childcare. You have to pay whether you get the hours or not.

And yy, no sick pay, holiday/annual leave, or most employee rights.

My husband was out of work for a year before they took him on full time so I'm not complaining

Good news for the likes of DD, coming up for 17, just left school and starting college in September. She's looking for part time evening and weekend work to fund her car insurance and isn't fussy where it is.

our local mcds always have immigration control vans round there, don't seem to be that great at recruitment!

It's only bad news due to the zero hours contracts

The rest is neither here nor there, unless the OP is insinuating people will be dragged to Mc Donalds and force fed their burgers.

Given that you give your DS Nestle cereal, you have no right to moan about McDonalds.

My husband works about 38 h a week and he can choose to do 6 days if he wants. He gets paid more for working nights and they have even said that I should put my name forward, if I ever pass my driving test I will.
There are worse places for sure like lidl!

You would still get sick pay/holiday/maternity etc. The statutory level is based on the average worked not on the zero minimum per contract.

I agree. People should start boycotting the place. I haven't been in one for years. Except to use the loos.

Great news for young people/ students who can find it difficult to get a job.
Our dd's have friends who work there and they say they are a nice employer and a treated a lot better than those in casual jobs who are let down or not paid on time ( bed + breakfast and bar work etc)

Yes you do get holiday etc. It's paid pro rata based on the 3 months previous to the request or something similar. I used to get 6 weeks holiday pro rata. And you don't have to use individual days off for little things because you can just take a day off unpaid whenever you want as long as you can work the shifts out for someone to cover you or whatever.

I worked at McDonald's for 5 years. It was quite up and down, customers can be shits and equally your colleagues can be shits. However, I was always guaranteed the hours I needed, I worked hard and was promoted twice aswell as doing an apprenticeship with them. I was a manger when I left and it was a bit crap at times but actually they were quite good employers. They have great training programmes and hold high standards.

I got free food aswell so that was a bonus.

i utterly hate zero hour contracts did it once and it nearly ruined us it started fine 30+ hours a week claiming working tax then they gave him 20 one week 40 the next so still technically within the 30 hour wtc rule then it dropped and he had to beg literally for more hours then they gave him 4 hours just fucking 4 hours to pay rent food bills the works he didn't sleep went to work made a mistake and crashed his car couldnt work then as his car was written off (or would have been but we repaired it eventually) to be honest ive never been so glad to lose a job

i might apply myself if they have any part time work as long as its NOT zero hours!

Zero hour contracts paying minimum wage.

Excuse me wilst I crack out the bunting.