Trying to get by on minimum wage can be very stressful. But McDonald’s advice to workers on how to cope doesn‘t deal with the source of the stress.
Instead of raising wages, this fast-food giant provides its low-wage workers a “McResource” webpage with tips that include going to church, singing, chewing gum and taking smaller bites to feel more full.
It’s bad enough this advice doesn’t remedy the real problem, the bit about chewing gum is downright unhealthy because of the asparatame in most gums. Another tip advising workers to take vacations twice a year must seem like a bad joke to those working double shifts or multiple jobs just to pay the rent.
Even McDonald’s helpful diet tips seem to forget that healthy foods often cost more, and not surprisingly the advice includes applying for food stamps.
Instead of expecting its workers to make lifestyle changes to deal with the stress of poverty, McDonalds’ ought to pay its workers a living wage.
Tell McDonald’s its lifestyle advice isn’t what low-wage workers need.
We, the undersigned, say McDonald’s should give its workers better pay instead of lifestyle advice.
Though the advice on adding foods with tryptophan and avoiding those with trans fats is good dietary advice, it usually takes more money to buy healthier foods than unhealthy ones, and workers can’t eat healthy if they can’t afford to. And, because of the aspartame in most gums, McDonald’s advice about chewing gum to alleviate stress is downright unhealthy.
Huffington Post reports that McDonald’s profits in this year’s third quarter were $1.5 billion, which is ironically close to the amount taxpayers paid in public assistance to McDonald’s workforce.
Certainly this wealthy company can afford to give its workers more than lifestyle advice on dealing with the stress of poverty.
We request that McDonald’s give its workers what they really need to alleviate stress - a decent living wage.
Update #210 years ago
A McDonald's spokesperson told the press this week that the company admits its employee resource website hasn't really helped its "valued employees," and so it shut the website down. Nevertheless McDonald's says it will continue such services via an "internal telephone help line."
Please keep the pressure on McDonald's until it addresses the real issue here - the fact that it's not paying its "valued employees" a living wage.
Update #110 years ago
News sources recently found even more evidence that McDonald's is out of touch with the needs of its impoverished employees. Its worker advice website offers tips on how they should tip special service providers that few, if any, fast food workers could afford, - like pool cleaners, dog walkers or au pairs.
