McDonald’s has recently revealed plans to increase the pay of over 90,000 staff members starting July 1, 2015. This move comes after a series of employee protests and a slump in sales, leading many to believe that this is an effort to improve employee morale and enhance their public image.
The company has indicated that the salary boost will ensure that income for its U.S restaurant employees is $1 above the current minimum wage starting July 1. McDonald’s expects the average wage to exceed $10 an hour by the close of 2016.
In a new initiative, McDonald’s will also be introducing paid leave for some of its workforce. If employees opt against taking this paid break, they will receive an equivalent amount in financial compensation.
However, this pay rise has been met with criticism from fast food worker unions campaigning for a $15 hourly wage, who argue that the increase is inadequate. “This is a feeble effort from a company that raked in $5.6 billion in profits last year,” expressed Kwanza Brooks, a McDonald’s employee from Charlotte, North Carolina, who is affiliated with the Fight for $15 movement advocating for higher wages in the fast-food industry.
Visit USATODAY for more details on McDonald’s wage increase initiative and to find out more about the reactions it has sparked.
Photo credits: Rupert Ganzer
