McDonald's - emptying bins with bare hands

[OwlBabiesAreCute]

Ew. Took DD (14) to McDonald's drive through. Sat chatting as she was eating, employee from McD's came out with a fresh bin bag as bin full.

Thought she would open bin cover, remove full bag and replace with empty. But no. She opened the empty bin bag, then proceeded to remove all the rubbish from the full bin into the empty bag she was holding, by hand and with no gloves!

AIBU to think this was disgusting and surely not McD's policy??

Feel very sorry for their staff if so...

Probably not but dont see the issue - i'd imagine she would wash her hands afterwards. Maybe couldn't be bothered changing the liners but ya know being paid f all

I’m mainly concerned that she made more work for herself than was necessary. As long as she washed her hands after doing it (and you don’t suggest that she didn’t), I’m not really seeing a huge issue.

Not as bad as when I had to search through a McDonald's bin for a discarded AirPod (child is an autistic and would have vomited had he been made to do it...) luckily dp had a spare rubber glove in his pocket ( no idea why!)

As long as she washed her hands her choice. Perhaps she didn't want to change bags out

I quite often do this at work but not with a full bag.

I highly doubt its their policy, there could be anything in there I definitely wouldn't be putting my bare hands in and rifling through! I suspect they find it easier for whatever reason, and I'm sure (well you'd hope) that they'd wash their hands after.

YABU and as a former employee it IS policy. Because we also had a strict handwashing policy and the logic was that you're better off washing your hands after doing a job like that than putting on gloves, forgetting about them and handling other things with them such as food.

Some dick tried to complain about me to my manager while I was emptying a bin once. It was awkward and annoying.

Most McDonalds restaurants I worked in (and I worked in loads all over the country) had better food hygiene than fancier restaurants I've worked in since so I trust their way of doing things.

Wearing gloves isn't cleaner than washing hands - proper hand washing makes it the best way to maintain hygiene in food places!

How on earth are YOU emptying bins? I've never "put my bare hands in and riffled through" a bin to empty it. I take the lid off, pick up the plastic which almost certainly hasn't touched any food, then pull the bin out and take it out back to the compactor.

@pinguins I'm amazed. It certainly wasn't just food containers in there, there were nappy bags and other non McD's rubbish, she couldn't see until she pulled it out.

Even DD said "poor girl"!

At a rather up-market Deli in my town the staff wear surgical type gloves to handle food. Fine, except that they then handle cash at the till.
In my view this is worse than no gloves at all because at least with no gloves you are more aware of grubby or sticky hands and are more likely to wash them often.

You do realise they have hand washing facilities, don't you?

Poor girl? She's a woman doing her job. I don't understand the infantilising and/or pity. I worked in places like that as a young woman and I'd like to hope people weren't looking at me as lesser than. Someone has to do it.

My first thought was what is there’s a needle in there? Nooooo. Surely that way of emptying is a bad idea?!

i worked there and i never took rubbish out of a bag with my bare hands. i always had loads (literallly 4 layers) of gloves on as i didn't want to touch anything ever. some people loved to do things without gloves on though as part of their "that's me, that is/i love working here/everyone here loves me/we're a big family" etc etc kind of thing.

I used to work there and it definitely isn't procedure. She sounds mad 😂

It sounds fine to me, I imagine she washed her hands afterwards. I've done cleaning and never wore gloves - I can't do things as well with gloves as I can with bare hands, my fingers feel restricted. It's personal preference, and nothing to do with anyone else.

Don't they have separate jobs for floor staff that clean up to those working on food preparation?

Why is everyone focusing on the handwashing after and not the fact this woman was having to go through rubbish? It's disgusting. Especially when she could have just taken the bag out and replaced it. There could be anything in the bin.

Bare hands is definitely better than gloves and people just don't wash their hands when wearing gloves

But emptying rubbish like that is yucky at best and dangerous at worst their could potentially be something sharp like a discarded needle or blade in an public bin

Isn't Mcdonalds rubbish just cardboard packaging and a bit of leftover cooked food? It's not like its fishheads and raw meat.

This. Doesn't matter if she wore gloves or used bare hands which were then washed though if there were needles or blades in there then it could be an issue

I have watched council workers empty the town bins. Bag removed and new liner inserted the way it should be.

It really doesn't make sense to transfer the rubbish into a new clean bag and leave the dirty bag in the bin. The bag is bound to get some holes in it which Will leak into the bin. Wonder how often it gets washed out. Sure it would raise a few eyebrows at environmental health.

I do wonder how often the liner actually gets changed. Must be pretty minging by then. Probably takes itself out of the bin.

Hygiene issues aside, what a time consuming way to empty a bin!

No one should have to do that. There could be anything in those bins, and they'll be full of wasps this time of year.