Burger giant chips in with 86 ‘McJobs’ for Lanarkshire

Aug 28 2008 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

MORE ‘McJobs’ are on their way to Lanarkshire.

Burger giants McDonald’s are to create 86 new posts at their 11 restaurants in the county.

They want to recruit burger flippers and front counter staff plus floor workers.

McDonalds currently employ 709 people in Lanarkshire and they have restaurants in Hamilton, Motherwell, Bellshill, Wishaw, East Kilbride and Airdrie.

The company say more staff are needed to cope with extra business generated by restaurant modernisation, extended opening hours and menu changes.

Of the 11 county restaurants, the two in Hamilton are the only ones that are not looking for extra staff.

Operations consultant Alistair Reid, who manages seven of the Lanarkshire McDonalds, including those in Motherwell and Wishaw, will be recruiting around 70 more workers.

During the recruitment in Lanarkshire and nationwide, McDonalds will be attempting to dispel the negative connotations attached to the term ‘McJob’.

There was a row when the Oxford English Dictionary last year defined a ‘McJob’ as “an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, especially one created by the expansion of the service sector”.

A dictionary in the United States termed ‘McJob’ as “low-paying and dead-end work”.

Mr Reid said the latest campaign would highlight the benefits of working at McDonald's, describing why employees “love their ‘McJob’”.

Staff could choose in advance the hours that they were available for work.

And parents were able to work during school hours with school holidays off, while students’ shifts could be fitted around their college and university commitments.

Asked how much new staff could expect to be paid, a company spokesman said: “We don't have a set standard starting wage in place for new crew members.

“The hourly rate offered depends on each individual applicant, based on age, hours and shift times worked.”

Franchisee Jack Glen employs 140 staff at his two restaurants, at Hamilton Palace Grounds and the town’s Douglas Park Retail Park.

He had, he said, a low staff turnover, and added: “In Hamilton, many of the crew members are choosing to move up the ladder, taking advantage of the training, development and salaries available as they move towards management.

“Of the 28 managers across my two restaurants, 23 have been trained and promoted from starting as crew members.”

He added: “Though the Hamilton restaurants are currently fully staffed, this recruitment drive is providing numerous opportunities across Lanarkshire to get started with the company."