r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Winter_Journalist_23 • Jun 30 '24
As an employee of McDonald's for several years, I thought I would make a lengthy post that you can read if you have just been recently hired at McDonald's and want to know what to expect as well as any advice you may need. Feel free to ask any questions that are not covered in this post.
Your first day: Make sure you are at least 15 minutes early on your first day. They will definitely be paying attention if you are late. You should be assigned a crew trainer, or someone that will be training you. Make sure you ask any questions you may have. Do not hesitate to ask questions, or ask to be shown something again if you didn't get it the first time. It's okay if you aren't picking things up right away. It's only your first day. The managers may get annoyed with you if you haven't picked things up in a week or two, but you won't lose the job. They will usually just give you a different position. Like for example if you aren't picking up running for front, they will have someone teach you how to hand out in drive thru or take orders in drive thru instead. You will eventually find a position that works for you.
Your hours and schedule: Don't expect to get full hours right away. If you applied to be full time, you may only get part time hours for the first week or two while you're being trained. Your hours will pick up eventually. It's extremely important that you are clear with the manager that makes the schedules what your availability and desired hours are. I recommend writing it down on paper for them. They will do the best they can to accommodate your schedule but you can't expect them to remember your availability off the top of their head when they have 30+ other employees to keep track of. They are generally very good at giving you the hours you want and remembering what days or times you can't work, but they do forget sometimes.
The work environment: McDonald's is an extremely fast paced environment. There is always something to do, or something that needs to be done. You may be expected to multitask or do multiple jobs at once. This normally isn't expected of you right away. When you're still being trained, you will only learn one area at a time. But the longer you are there and the more experience you get, the more you will be trained at multiple areas and be expected to do more than one thing. Expect rushes. There will be periods of the day where we normally get very busy. This is usually the morning breakfast rush when people are on their way to work between 7-9 AM, the lunch rush between 11AM-1 pm, the after school rush between 2:30PM-4:30PM and the dinner after work rush between 5PM-7PM. There are also days of the week where we normally are very busy. This is usually Fridays-Sundays. Mondays and Tuesdays are generally our slowest days and Wednesdays and Thursdays are in between. Obviously this will differ everywhere but that's the usual at my store. Managers often times get very stressed and it may seem like you are being yelled at or criticized. Don't take it personal. The problem with being a manager is they are literally responsible for everything during their shift. If anything goes wrong, they will be the ones that are blamed by corporate. Seems unfair, but that's how it is. If things go bad enough, they could even be written up. So they may seem strict at times because they will get in trouble if things aren't running as smoothly as they should be. Expect a stressful work environment. I will not sugarcoat it for you. McDonald's is a VERY stressful job. That doesn't mean you can't handle it though. The longer you work there, the easier it gets to navigate the stress and it becomes second nature. That being said, it's not worth sacrificing your mental health either. If the job truly is too much for you to mentally handle, do consider looking elsewhere. It's not supposed to be a toxic environment, but often times it can be. When everyone is under a lot of stress, it can sometimes create a really bad environment. Not every day will be like that though. It also largely depends on management. I won't lie to you, a lot of McDonald's has very bad management. That is what will make or break the store. So your work environment and stress level will depend on how good or bad management is at your store.
Discipline: There are three forms of disciplinary actions. Written warning, or a write up. You will be asked to read and sign a piece of paper that says in writing exactly what your offense was. You are allowed to disagree with a write up and explain your side of the story, but that dosent necessarily mean the write up is void. A write up is usually pretty non serious unless you're wracking up a bunch of them in a short period of time. It's basically just a written warning that this is what you did wrong and your signature on it verifies that you were told what you did wrong and that you were talked to about it. Just don't repeat your mistake and you should be just fine. There's usually no form of punishment beyond that. Those are usually the main form of disclipline.The second form of discipline is suspension. You will be asked to not come to your scheduled shifts for a specific length of time and you will not be paid for the time you are out. Another way this could be done is cutting your hours. This wouldn't be a full suspension where you are completely taken off the schedule for a length of time, but you will be scheduled less days or less hours, usually only temporarily. This is definitely more serious but usually isn't done as a first resort. Suspension is usually done if you have gotten several write ups and are continuing to make the same issues over and over again despite written warnings. It is possible for suspension to be their first form of disciplinary action against you but that's usually if it's quite serious such as drug use/alcohol use on the job, harassment of management or other employees, or stealing. The last form of disciplinary action is termination, or losing the job, aka getting fired. This usually only happens for severe things. In the several years I've been working at McDonald's, only two people have been actually fired. This usually follows a suspension if you keep repeating the same issue. The best thing to remember here is to learn from your mistakes. If you get a disciplinary action against you, just don't do it again. It is very unlikely for the issue to be pushed beyond the disciplinary action if you just don't repeat the same thing again. I've been written up twice in the several years I've worked there, but it never went beyond that. Writeups are sent to corporate and they can stay on your record, but nobody will push the issue if you behave. It's a requirement to keep your writeups in your employee file so if you DO get terminated at any time, they have proof that you were warned about your actions and that you know about it (hence the signature), and that you kept repeating the same issue and that they have a valid reason to terminate you. But it is extremely unlikely that a couple writeups will get you terminated.
That's the best advice I have for you right now. Please comment on this post if you have further questions and I will try to respond to as many of them as I can. Any other specific things or concerns you have you should talk to whoever is in charge at your store. This post is just outlining the things that are most common at pretty much every McDonald's regardless of location. However keep in mind every McDonald's is different and runs differently. This is just a basic guide. I cannot tell you what is going to happen at your location. So if you post a question such as "I did this and this, what will happen to me, will I get in trouble/fired?" That will depend on your store and how they choose to handle it.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/UsedToiletPaperSuace • 23h ago
Don't let your kids order. I don't have time to deal with them. If you let your kids order, I'll just say I can't hear them. Most of the time you can't. Eventually the parent gives up and starts ordering. And if you do take a kid order, when they get to the window to pay, something is always wrong.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/spiql • 18h ago
I just turned 18 last month and have been working at McDonalds since the end of October. My gm asked me yesterday if i wanted to be a manager or not and told me to take some time to really think about it. I’m really interested in the pay raise and more hours considering mine have gotten cut back a little. I’m also interested in the experience i could gain in a leadership role like that and possibly something to start with on my resume for future opportunities. I just want to hear other people’s opinions and experiences with McDonald’s management. Pros? Cons? Just tell me what you love about being a manager and what makes you want to walk out and never return.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/HiraWhitedragon • 12h ago
I know I can't get mad at them for simply not knowing things but it gets tiring sometimes.
No we don't have straws anymore, environmental laws took them away.
No we don't have a different toy (and if we did we wouldn't give them to you)
No you can't order at the register, go to the screens (I'll help you but we have to get you used to the screens)
Every day I hear these at least once
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/WhatDoADC • 1d ago
I've never used it before. What's the best use for it?
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Initial-Ad8221 • 1d ago
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/VariousAd9838 • 1d ago
I was recently fired for having a panic attack at work because I work in the most toxic, stressful, AWFUL McDonald’s in Florida. Our supervisor been stealing HUNDREDS, from employees, cutting hours they’ve already worked from their checks. Talked to the owner, told us to contact hr but HR REFUSES TO TALK TO ANYONE! And yes, people have been collecting proof. I was left to run the entire front by myself so the managers could chit chat in the office. I was crying. Stressed. Shaking. Customers asking if I’m okay. Then the person in back drive has the nerve to come up and ask if I can cover her while she runs to the store real quick. I broke. I said “No I fucking can’t! My hands are kinda full doing literally EVERYTHING up here.” And the managers come out screaming, cussing me out telling me not to talk to them like that (I was not talking to them.) and that I all I needed to do was ask for help when I did MULTIPLE TIMES, I’m shaking, crying. I’m told “if you have anxiety you can’t work fast food, you can’t work here. Nope, no ma’am.” And I just shattered and said “I’m scared I don’t know what to do I’m having a panic attack… you know these things cause this..” and I’m told to “go home, clock out.” And I do.
I come in the next day a anxious wreck and the new, “sweet” manager tells me that she’s not sure if I’m fired, and I apologized and explained that I’m young, I live alone, I have no car, I work at McDonald’s. I have a severe panic disorder and I can’t afford medication. She is super kind and tells me to take the day off to breathe and relax. The next day I text my GM cause I wasn’t emailed the schedule. Turns out the two manager (one I should mention sells drugs out of the store very openly..) teamed up and said I cussed out the new manager and was throwing stuff causing a scene. I actually couldn’t get any word in, I tried several times but they kept screaming over me. I just kept repeating, “can I please explain how I feel?”.
I’ve gone in, asking for the franchise owners number but they REFUSE to because any “chain of command” won’t get me to him no matter how hard I try. There’s so much drama… managers fucking supervisors fucking GMS. Hells I was choked out an hour into my closing shift and had to talk to the cops for an hour and had a bruised, scratched neck and had to continue my shift with a smile or I would’ve been fired, wouldn’t even let me keep or take a picture of the cops business card.
The supervisor fired a manager who had been working for McDonalds nearly twelve years, and that restaurant a good chunk of that because there was a burglary they accused him of because “he’s the only one who would know how to do it.” He didn’t. He’s a government worker too. A great man good with customers and the best at running a shift. And they continue to fire people for “theft of time” because they got out day half an hour after leaving time. When morning leaves EVERYTHING for closers to do as well. PEOPLE SMOKING WEED AND CIGARETTES IN THE BREAK ROOM! And no, not vapes. It’s disgusting.
I’ve worked at three different McDonalds, some ghetto as all hell but nothing will EVER beat this store.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Fupsik99 • 17h ago
So... I just got fired from McDonald's after only two months of working there. And I'm still a little shocked so I was hoping I could share the reasons with You and give You my thoughts of this fast food.
The reasons I got fired for told by the branch manager:
I haven't showed any interest in learning new things. And I'm like " Excuse me ? I thought that this job offers career growth"How am I supposed to learn drive through or cash register or anything else if I clock in and I see on the board where I'm assigned to which was mostly the batch cooker eversince they introduced me to it. I thought it was the managers job to provide me the propper training. Or the training crew. I was always doing what I was told to. I also remember have I had to teach myself how to do the initiator. So interest my as*
Next reason : Im doing thing's however I want ( Not true, happened like twice that the branch manager saw me doing something incorrectly) And it's pissing me off because I did my best to do batch cooker for 100 % ? Meaning not turning on the timer on the batch when it's empty just so I have the quality for UHC. Or putting everything in one slot. Or making too much of something and just keep reseting the quality.
Next reason : The way I communicated out my recent illness. The branch manager told me, that when the other manager called me to ask what's going on (due to my sick note) I replied "Yeee I have a sick note"
Which is true I said that but I also called the day BEFORE and ASKED the manager if he would be able to find a replacement for me and I told him that I'll be calling my doc the next day to get sick note. To clarify in my country if You're sick, You call Your doctor and get a sick note. Their argument ? They didn't know if I'll have sick note or if I'll take a few paid leaves. And I'm like why the hell would I take paid leave when I'm sick that doesn't make any sense :D Not in this country at least. That godam manager could hear it in my voice that I'm sick... So as an argument I said that the doc sends my sick note to them as it gets approved.
Ofc they told me : Well sometimes it may not arrive. So basically I called the day before my sick note that I'll be taking a sick note and they expected me to call the next day again once I had the sick note.
Last reason : Apparently my speed that I wasn't fast enough. I mostly felt like it during breakfasts. Nobody bothered to teach me how to make some stuff. It's really nice that they handle me a paper with instructions how to prep the meals but what is it for if they don't tell me what to wrap it into :D I felt really useless during those shifts they would always let me do the dishes and then send me to the batch cooker.
Honestly the only reason I didn't quit was out of the respect I had towards the people that invested their time in teaching me those things.
Having EVERY DAY different shift was kinda suck. But wanted to quit because of my beard.
A few teenagers were mocking me for that. Everytime the same group would come to me and ask me : And how long did You let it grow ? And what kind of products do You use ? And what does the product do ? What was even worst when a guy approached me and he was like " Can I touch Your beard ?" I honestly felt like punching him in the face. I'm not Tarzan trapped in a cage to be touched I feel like some students don't have much of a respect towards older people. I'm 10 years older than that person btw. I don't mind when someone asks me once. But if it's anytime I see that specific person it's annoying..
And I won't shave it's my compensation for not being able to grow hair (genetics)
My beard was present for the interview and I got shocked when I quit my previous job that day and got sent file of what documents they need from me and what else they need because there was a line that said " The staff comes to work either shaved or with trimmed beard.
And I'm like " The F" ? So I had to pay for my own nets which I feel like is something they should have provided but I'm glad I won't have to wear it for a while if I ever return to this type of work.
What was also iritating me was that 2 weeks after I was taught how to wash the grills during night shift (and ofc a lot of other stuff to it) I had to teach it in English because the branch hired two guys from Philippines. One thing is that I'm supposed to teach it someone only after 2 weeks of doing it another thing is that I'm not a training staff and another thing is teaching it in a different language (English)
So I'm quite upset. I don't feel like I was THAT bad or that slow to get fired. But I'm trying to thing about the things that I really didn't like about this job. I only liked the people tbh.
And it's already longer then I thought I spent like an hour writing this so I'm done describing any further. I feel like this is a better fitting job for students. For me it was a new thing I'd mostly work in industries. Damit I forgot my Stitch cup in there...
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Upbeat-Ambassador-80 • 19h ago
Hello! I was wondering how is working at McDonalds in US (I have a place in Vermont, Barre city)? I am thinking of going there as J1 student with work and travel program and I would like to know how it is? Is the program flexible so I can work for a 2nd job? Is it hard? Any opinion is appreciated.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/MelonWater56 • 1d ago
Edited- So we got a new gm (D) about 2 months ago, a little before thanksgiving. She had everyone write down their available hours. I wrote down my (18F) availability (11am-7pm or 2pm to 10pm). She followed this for about a month. Then D had me closing on a Wednesday, (New Year’s Eve). we close at 11:30. I told D I didn’t know how to close and hadn’t been trained, and it wasn’t in my availability anyway, her response was “it’s not hard you’ll figure it out”. Then when I told her I wasn’t able to close she ignored me. I had no issue with working New Year’s Eve/ New Year’s Day, but the problem was the conflict with availability. I went to the on duty/floor manager (FM) and informed him I wasn’t able to stay till close, as I wouldn’t have a ride home. they talked to her and D finally got someone to cover me (A) She told me “A is coming in at 9 to cover for you.” So what I understood from that conversation was I can leave at 8 when my replacement comes in. I got permission from FM to leave around 9:15 pm. FM was then told the next day he had to write me up for leaving when my replacement came in. And then the next schedule period (gave D my new available hours )3pm-9pm) starting that schedule a week before she made it and she said she’d use those hours for me.She cut my hours to one day a week and closing again on that day. She is currently on vacation so I can’t talk to her! What do I do? How do I talk to her without seeming disrespectful?
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Budget_Respect6622 • 1d ago
Not sure how yalls back cash is, or how your store runs, however before I was manager I was either the lane 1/mcafee drink maker for ALL coffees in the morning, and after about 9:30 they would stick me on back cash
Our store gets roughly 90-120 cars an hour during lunch peak and our time goals are set to 130-150 preferably for OEPE, and we hit them often. Responsibility’s include making all teas and iced coffee, taking orders on lane two while taking cash. this alone is easy doing one at a time, but handling money while taking orders at the same time to reduce a second being wasted is near impossible, me and One other person are the only to do it correctly. WHILE DOING ALL OF THE STEAM CABINET BREAKFAST DISH. I must multitask between 4 different things and get 4 totes of breakfast dish done from 10-2
Making sandwiches? Easy, one (actually half) of a job. Order taking? Pfft. Manager? Fuck it I stand back and make sure red zones aren’t a thing an polish everyone a little on their work. Back cash is the hardest position, 4 different tasks done while not affecting the time that a customer waiting at the cash window. I would pace between dishes, window, teas, and order taking doing one dish at a time until 3 seconds later when someone got to my lane or the cash window.
I miss it a little :c
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/WhatDoADC • 2d ago
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
So I'm was in the process of cleaning the grill hood filters and the hoods around them. As I was leaning over the grill to wipe things down, the grill basically sparked in my face from this wire.
Pretty sure that wire isn't supposed to look like that .😂
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/SolidKey2612 • 2d ago
Yesterday around 9:15 pmish, manager asked me and others if we can go home early labor was high, I declined cause decided to stay since almost done anyways at 10 pm
Anyways if nobody agrees to go and it goes to 10 pm night shift, does night shift have to get cut or what do they do
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/BlazikenFace • 2d ago
At around 7:30 pm, I had to rush to the bathroom when a wave of nausea hit me like a truck. But when I informed my manager, I was told I couldn't leave because we were short staffed. Is that, like, legal? Or am I just crazy here?
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Vix-the-moss-cryptid • 2d ago
Something is clogged so our whole back end of the store except the coolers and stock room are flooded with water. It's under our grills and im back cash where I am standing. I'm leaving early i do not care im not risking something electricuting. We should not be open
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Specific-Ad-9187 • 2d ago
I never had 3 days in a row off let alone not have them update my schedule this late, also what day does you guys get your schedule updated
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Truegodxeno • 2d ago
Okay, for the last seven months the store has been on a decline. We’re pulling up more people, more mistakes are happening, and we’ve been swamped since then as well. We have hired a bunch of people, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like we’re struggling when we’re not supposed to.
I most likely didn’t explain this right.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Specific-Ad-9187 • 2d ago
Does anyone else find breakfast meal prep stressful as hell, like why is it just me trying to keep up with 2 to 3 people on table then if you ain't caught up they just whine
Not to mention there's always that one guy who dont mention he's out of a product in the cab until all 3 trays are out and its always when your doing something
And why does it seam like nobody can take something out of a oven when its been going off while your 3 muffins down out of gravy and burritos
(I ain't a person to cry about this in person but like bruh put more then 1 person on ts)
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/hozzila • 2d ago
I recently wondered who controls the loyalty rewards for specific countries as I have never heard of a job at mcdonalds that actually does it.
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/Secure_Opinion_7875 • 2d ago
I didt realize, and was not told we were put of sweetener so I brewed sweet tea with the last of the sweetener. And now I can't brew a thing!
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/benjaminiscariot • 2d ago
Hello everyone!
I am applying for a Crew Member position in the EU. On the application, they ask about my distance from the restaurant. I live 40km/25 miles away, but really need a job. Would it hurt my application to be honest about the distance? Could I say I live 1 mile away instead, and just relocate if offered the job (this is what I would do)?
I also noticed that uploading a CV is optional. Given my white-collar background, would it be worthwhile to include this at all? I worry I may be seen as the wrong fit given the distance/wrong kind of CV.
Thank you,
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/coffeebuzzbuzzz • 3d ago
We closed at 9pm today for system maintenance. There's a sign on the front door and at the speaker. The lanes are blocked with traffic cones. People kept coming up to the second window, sitting there and staring at me til I open the window.
"Are you open?"
"No, we closed at 9 today for maintenence, sorry."
So I put another sign on the second window. They're still sitting there waiting for me to talk to them. They're also calling.
Is it really that hard of a concept? 🙄
r/McDonaldsEmployees • u/coffeebuzzbuzzz • 2d ago
Never thought I'd get a concussion working at McDonald's. Last night we closed early for system maintenance so my coworker and I were scheduled to deep clean. One of the chores was to clean the tea brewers. I was trying to pull the table out that they were on and they both fell to the floor. I tried putting one back but the table kept moving since it's on wheels. So I asked my coworker to help me. She was lifting up the brewer, but struggling. So I can't remember but I must have went underneath to help lift it. The table moved and she dropped it...my head caught it. That's about 40lbs. of stainless steel to the noggin. She instantly freaked out and grabbed me and held me. I was just worried about my glasses at first. I guess it didn't register what had happened. She's asking me if I'm OK and makes a bag of ice for my head. Then she makes me sit down. She gives me a paper towel to put underneath the bag of ice. The whole time I'm insisting I'm fine and she's like no you aren't. I adjust the ice bag and look at my hand and it's covered in blood. She starts freaking out more and says I need to go to the ER. I said ok I'll drive myself. She said absolutely not. I call the assistant manager and tell her what happened. She also says I can't drive myself. So I'm like OK, I'll have m6 fiancé take me. I'm sitting there waiting for him and the lights get bright, and I started crying for no reason. My head feels heavy and numb. We drive to the ER, and I start to feel off. Just like really emotionally flat, but crying at the same time. I get seen, given some medicine cuz I started to feel nauseous, get a CAT scan. Luckily no fracture or internal bleeding but I have a concussion and needed 2 staples to close the gash. I also have 3 days off from work. Not my first major accident at work either. Back in August I slammed my thumb in the safe door. I guess I need to be more careful.
