McDonald’s has begun a trial of a ‘family contract’, which enables two people from the same family working in the same restaurant to cover each other’s shifts with no prior notice.
About 1,000 people out of McDonald’s 67,000-strong workforce are family members. Pairs made up of married couples, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, step-families, adopted families, co-habiting partners and same-sex partners are all eligible to apply for the contract.
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David Fairhurst, vice-president for people at McDonald’s, said: “By giving our employees the freedom to manage their shift commitments, we will increase their motivation and enjoyment of work. That is fundamental to our business because it is a simple fact that happy employees mean happy customers.”
If the family contract proves successful, McDonald’s will look to widen the scheme, Fairhurst said. “In the future we may even look to extend it beyond the family to include friends and extended family members, such as cousins,” he said.
