Labor Practices of the Fast Food Industry
Labor Practices of the Fast Food Industry Today, the fast food industry has been considered the source of many problems in society. From advertising to children to unfair labor practices and all the way to the common cause of obesity, the fast food industry seems to be the primary root of all these troubles despite what McDonald’s may claim. But most importantly, the issue of labor practices within the fast food workplace has become a highly regarded subject for debate over the past decade for three distinct reasons. First, the fast food industry has the tendency to over work their workers. Secondly, the fast food industry usually does not adequately pay their employees. Lastly, many fast food restaurants do not provide any benefits for their workers. Therefore, the topic of labor practices in the fast food industry still stands strong as the number one controversy surrounding the real “fast food nation.” In “Fast Food Nation” the author, Eric Schlosser, presents the harsh realities of the unfair labor practices of the fast food industry along with many other controversies. He first attacks the poor labor practices of the industry through a story about a teenage girl named Elisa. Through the use of Elisa, Schlosser is ab . . .
Thus, by having the best equipment on the market, McDonald’s is able to cut down on human error and produce their food at a more efficient rate. Even worse, the fast food industry rarely pays overtime. At the bottom of the “People Promise” it states “McDonald’s Corporation reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend its policies, programs, and/or guidelines…with or without prior notice” (McDonald’s). Furthermore, the McDonald’s homepage states that they are fully committed to the worker in order to help them reach managerial status and to the customer in order to make sure they leave with a smile. Worse yet is the fact that more fast food workers are murdered on the job than police officers in the United States per year. 5 million fast food workers are the largest group of minimum wage earners (Russo). As a result, all the tasks of the restaurant are broken up into small, repetitive bits requiring no skill or training, which allows the immigrants and elderly to be employed. Contrarily, a study done by an Iowa State University student, Michael Benner, found that the majority of high school employees at McDonald’s actually enjoy working there for numerous reasons such as it is easy money and there are not many other job opportunities in today’s society for a student still enrolled in high school. In conclusion, the subject matter of labor practices within the fast food industry seems to have many opposing views. Sadly, the majority of restaurant crime is committed by current or former, disgruntled employees. le to show that the fast food industry aims to employ teenagers simply because they are easier to control due to their inexperience, they are cheaper than adults, and they are willing to accept lower pay (Pottinger). As for the work schedule, many workers are urged to not punch in until the establishment becomes busy and on the other end of the spectrum, if the worker intends on staying overtime, he or she is told to punch out before cleaning up or staying later. As a response to McDonald’s unfair labor practices, two dozen ex-employees of the restaurant testified for the defense in the McLibel suit confirming the company’s poor pay and conditions. Moreover, McDonald’s also is very proud of their diverse work force, which shows that they promote equal opportunity.
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