Friday, April 21, 2006

Flexi timings at Mac donald

Mac donald has launched a poster campaign using the slogan 'Not bad for a McJob', which details the benefits the company offers staff such as extensive flexible working options.
Flexible working has become a trusted HR tool in the UK, but now fast food giant McDonald's is taking the concept one step further by piloting a scheme whereby employees can arrange emergency shift cover among themselves.

"It's all about tailoring the employee value proposition," explains vice-president of people David Fairhurst. "We pride ourselves on being a local, flexible employer, but wanted to take this to the next level. The answer was to devise the concept of 'family contracts'."

In essence, two people from the same family, who both work in the same McDonald's restaurant, can apply for a family contract. This is a contract of work that allows both family members greater flexibility in working their shifts. In practice, if one person chooses not to work a particular shift for any reason, then their family member can work it for them.

This means that if, for example, a child within the family falls ill, then employees in the scheme have the flexibility to choose which family member will work the shift and which will assume caring duties.
This concept of flexi timing has helped Macdonald to hit back at critics and build the impression of being a employee friendly organisation.It is the first time the company has tried to combat the "negative misconceptions" that have been associated with the title 'McJob' ever since the term was used by Douglas Copeland in his bestselling novel Generation X: tales for an Accelerated Culture.

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