Daily Struggles Only A McDonald’s Employee Would Understand
By Lynsey
9 months ago
The burn from hot oil
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This fast-paced food joint requires staff to work at unnatural speeds just to get orders out in record timing. This means that the staff have to make sure that what they're doing become second nature to them, however accidents are sure to occur when everyone is rushing around. Accidents from hot frying oil is one of the highest recorded causes of injuries to McDonalds staff.People dropping their change at the drive through window
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The little space between your car and the drive-through window causes nothing but endless trouble for McDonalds staff. There are some who can't reach the card machine and so have to awkwardly open their door and then there are others who drop their change when handing it over to you and it's too far for either of you to reach it - annoying huh?Having to clean up after messy eaters
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For some reason McDonalds employers are seen as cleaners in the eyes of some customers. It's crazy to think that some people choose to go and get their fast-food fix just to leave their rubbish either scattered on the floor or on the tables, making the lives of employees that much harder.Having leftovers or uncollected orders for lunch
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The idea that working for McDonalds means leftover orders or uncollected orders for lunch sounds like a dream, no? That would be if it were true. For many employees, they are not allowed to have a break or there is simply no time to, let alone then being able to eat McDonalds on their break - it's frowned upon!The few extra pounds added to the scale
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McDonald employees have to struggle with the temptations of not nibbling on the goods as they make their way through their shift. They also need to deploy great willpower to not take a happy meal home every day after work when they are starving, as the 'McDonald spread' is a thing, you know?!Attempting to be cheery all the time
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Telling customers to 'have a nice day!' whilst smiling for the dozenth time that morning can become exhausting. McDonalds employees have to battle to be cheery for every customer, even those who snatch their order, don't make eye contact and who don't say thank you.Having to buy those hideous safety shoes
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Have you ever taken a moment to observe the footwear of the McDonalds employee serving you before? If not, make sure you do on your next visit! You'll find the not-so-sexy safety shoe being showcased as an essential part of their uniform... and they have to buy them themselves!The constant menu changes
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McDonalds tries to keep up to date with food trends and be one of the leading fast food companies to showcase their new items. This means that staff are constantly having to adapt to new menus and attempt to memorise the content of them regularly in order to offer you, as the customer, the best experience possibleDealing with erratic shift scheduling
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Working for McDonalds is, as you're aware, not a simple 9-5 job. The shift patterns and schedules require staff to work a variety of shifts that are unpredictable: changing multiple times a day in some cases due to being severely understaffed. The hours can be unsociable from super early in the morning to working through the night and sometimes a bit of both!The constant broken equipment
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Everyone hates it when equipment fails to do its job and McDonald's employees are no different. Especially as when the milkshake machine breaks or the chip fryer packs up, customers turn their anger and frustrations on to the staff. Irate customers require patience and diplomacy which can be hard to display when you're being blamed for something so out of your control...The repetitive tasks day after day
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Although the McDonalds menu changes frequently and there are new things coming and going often, the core items on a McDonalds menu remain the same, meaning that employees often find themselves repeating the same jobs day in and day out. This can be boring and monotonous, making it hard for employees to remain cheerful, upbeat and motivated as staff.Keeping multiple orders accurate
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With McDonalds being such a popular restaurant, the orders come in a continuous stream all day every day. Attempting to keep up with the sheer volume of orders is a daunting process, let alone trying to make sure that every order that goes out is correct - no one wants to be on the receiving end of a complaint!Working with difficult co-workers
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Some employees at McDonalds are die hard employees who are striving every day to earn the 'Employee of the Month' award. Then you have the employees who don't particularly care to be there and who take their time, which slows down production. Both are difficult to work with as one either corrects you all the time, thinking they know it all and the other is infuriatingly slow.The uniforms are uncomfortable
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The McDonalds uniform has evolved dramatically over the years and is still evolving in some countries today. That said, it is still said to be one of the most uncomfortable uniforms to wear which is a shame considering McDonalds staff are usually in them for at least 6 hours, up to 12 on some shifts.The endless queues
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Long queues of hungry, impatient customers is sure to make anyone's stress levels rise. McDonalds workers have to experience this daily and are often at the brunt of people's frustrations when actually the problem that is causing the delay, is totally out of their control.Often going unrecognised
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One of the struggles McDonald employees have to deal with is the lack of recognition. Many customers simply turn up, eat their food and leave without a second thought for the person serving it. Many employers simply see it as a job to be completed and so employees find themselves with little employee benefits, resulting in staff feeling devalued daily for the hard work they do.The pay could be better
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McDonalds employees have to contend with long hours and little pay. Their shifts are often hectic and can be changed on a whim and unfortunately this hourly rate does not account for this. Chuck up for the US though who are notably paying their MCDonalds staff more than many other countries around the world!Finding time for a break
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McDonalds workers are scheduled to work long, monotonous shifts where taking a break should provide them with respite, something to eat and give them the motivation to make it to the end of their shift. However, often breaks are non-existent or if staff do take them, they are uninspiring and too short for them to fully relax.Serving people you know
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Some employees will love serving their friends and family whilst on shift, however many staff members do not. In some places there is a stigma attached to working at McDonalds which says 'I'm uneducated' when in fact it can be the complete opposite. Some friends and family also push for discounts which can put staff in an awkward situation.Lots of rivalled competition with other fast food companies
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Everyone has their favourite fast food spot, be that McDonalds, KFC, Burger King etc. Issues arise for staff when there is rivalry between them and staff can find themselves on the unnecessary receiving end of harassment and abuse. Ridiculous to think really when they all have a place in the current market and meet customer needs in different ways!The constant loud working environment
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The fast paced nature of McDonalds means it's loud from the moment it opens to til closing. This constant hustle and bustle can be overwhelming after a while and you can find staff seeking out a quiet place to sit with their own thoughts and to have a break wherever possible.The carnage of children's parties
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For children, parties at McDonald's are exciting and full of surprises. For staff... they are full of dread and fear as you know in advance how hectic your shift is about to be - not to mention the extreme level of tidying you're going to have to do when they leave as little children are MESSY!Working the front desk
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Working the front desk in McDonalds means you are the face for that particular store but it also means that you are the one who gets blamed for the incorrect orders and the delays in bringing out the food, even though you have literally no part to play except inputting it into the ordering system.Manning the winter drive-through is the worst!
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No matter the weather, some poor soul has to man the drive-through so we can get our McDonalds fix. To add to the difficulties for employees having to work in these conditions, you then get customers moaning that they have to roll their window down for 10 seconds to pay! The audacity hey!It's a struggle to maintain friendships
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Unfortunately for McDonald employees, the ability to make and then maintain friends can be quite the challenge. Not only is the work environment stressful and fast-paced that it doesn't really allow for small talk, it also experiences a high staff turnover rate so normally people aren't there long enough to get to know anyone.It's a fast-paced environment
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The fast food chain, McDonalds, is marketed to be exactly that, fast food... that means the food comes fast, and requires staff to work just as fast too. It can be hard to imagine just quite how face-paced it is working there unless you've experienced it yourself.No-one likes to work the evening shift till 11pm
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Unfortunately, to meet customer demands of having McDonalds available during every hour of the day, staff need to be scheduled to work throughout the night. It's common for no one to want to do the night shift as it disrupts sleep and social lives, but someone has to! - think of this the next time you're off to get your midnight McDonalds and maybe be that little bit kinder to the staff serving you...When it's time for a promotion...
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McDonalds LOVES a promotion. Whether it's 'Free Coffee Week', or a simple new item on the menu, discounts or happy meal promotions, they make employees lives that much more challenging. Suddenly employees find themselves extra busy - who'd have thought that was possible?! and having to remember something new off the menu.Running to give parked customers their meals
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There's nothing more annoying for a McDonalds employee than having to be the one who runs the food out to the customer's car in nothing but a T-shirt come rain, sunshine or snow. It's even more annoying when you have to do it multiple times because the order is wrong or the customer wants more sauce.Those customers that talk down to you
