The sign at the McDonald’s restaurant on Penn Ave in Sinking Spring, PA April 8, 2021 with a message on a board below it that reads “Work Here $15 And Free Meals”.
Ben Hast | MediaNews Group | Getty Images
McDonald’s franchises are offering higher hourly wages, paid time off and tuition payments in an attempt to win over workers, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, as fast food chains and restaurants struggle to hire staff.
The food chain’s storefront owners are also offering backup child care, according to the report. The benefit has become popular among companies during the pandemic as employers and Americans emerging from the pandemic seek to adapt.
Restaurants were among the hardest-hit businesses during Covid shutdowns, letting go of many of their workers as sales stalled. Now that industries around the country have resumed full operations, restaurants are struggling to keep up with demand.
Other major restaurant chains — including Papa John’s, Chipotle and P. F. Chang’s — have similarly boosted incentives for new workers including sign-on bonuses and expanded access to caregiver benefits.
McDonald’s franchisees agreed last month to help boost training, workplace flexibility, pay and benefits for workers across markets, according to the Journal.
In May, McDonald’s announced a roughly 10% pay increase for some of its workers as it was rushing to hire workers and meet demand. The company expects its average hourly wage to be $15 by 2024.
The company did not immediately return request for comment on the expanded benefits.
Read the full report at The Wall Street Journal.
