Heavyweight support enlisted to help McDonald's rewrite derogatory definition of 'McJob'

McDonald's is stepping up its campaign to change the dictionary definition of 'McJob'.

Dictionaries currently describe McJob as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector".

The fast-food retailer has gathered high-profile signatories from the worlds of business, education and retail to put their names to an open letter calling for the UK's dictionary houses to reconsider the existing definition.

The company has also officially launched its public petition on behalf of its 67,000 employees. It will go on tour to McDonald's restaurants in 40 towns and cities across the UK.

The letter's signatories include government skills envoy Sir Digby Jones, British Chambers of Commerce director general David Frost, British Retail Consortium director general Kevin Hawkins and City & Guilds director general Chris Humphries.

Alongside this, an Early Day Motion has been tabled in parliament by Clive Betts MP, which "regrets the use of derogatory phrases attached to service sector jobs such as McJob".

David Fairhurst, chief people officer at McDonald's, said: "The heavyweight support our petition has already attracted shows we have struck a chord and are not alone in our belief that the current definition of 'McJob' is inaccurate and out of date.

"I hope over the coming months our campaign will underline the value of the service sector, and jobs like ours, to individuals and the UK economy."