McDonalds hasn't been all that happy about sales at its zillions and zillions of restaurants lately but last month it hit upon a way to boost those numbers -- stay open on Thanksgiving Day.
People close to the company said that about 6,000 more locations opened their doors this Thanksgiving than did last year. Presuming their sales were on par with company-owned stores, that's about $36 million in additional sales.
Staying open on Thanksgiving enabled the corporation to post a 2.5% gain in November, as opposed to a 2.2% drop the month before.
So, with that kind of boost, naturally the thing to do for December is -- drum roll, please -- urge franchisees to stay open for Christmas Day as well.
If Santa grants corporate's wish and every store in McDonald's 14,000-strong U.S. system opens on Christmas, and rings up $6,000 each (a near impossibility), it could line the chain's stocking on Dec. 25 with a total of $84 million.
Woo hoo. That's great news for shareholders, executives and franchise owners.
How about the employees? Surely there will be a little something extra in their stockings for working on Christmas Day, right?
So are employees paid more to work holidays? Ms. Oldani said she can't speak for franchisees, but "when our company-owned restaurants are open on the holidays, the staff voluntarily sign up to work. There is no regular overtime pay."
The staff voluntarily sign up to work on Christmas with no extra pay? Seriously?
When the manager says he needs a Christmas Day crew are they jumping up and down with their arms raised saying "Pick me, pick me please!!!!"
Some probably do because they need the money, even if it's only at the same pathetically low rate. Some might be willing to work at night once their kids have opened their presents or they don't care all that much about Christmas or they are students who need the extra cash.
But the idea that every holiday crew is staffed with volunteers is absurd. What happens if they don't get enough "volunteers?"
Of course, paying overtime would make it harder to rake in an extra $5K per store.
Not offering anyone anything extra, OTOH, would certainly make Ebenezer Scrooge smile. Fine excuse to pick a man's pocket every 25th of December, indeed.
When employees are asked to pitch in and do something above and beyond for a company, the least the company can do is offer something in return. Employee make those earnings possible. They should share in at least a tiny portion of the gain.
That's just smart business.