McDonald’s USA to Launch Training for Restaurant Supervisors and Crew

McDonald’s USA and the National Franchisee Leadership Alliance (NFLA), the elected body representing more than 2,000 McDonald’s U.S. franchisees, announced the October launch of training to support a professional, safe and respectful workplace.  The program’s aim is to educate and empower approximately 850,000 employees with important information, resources and training that support building healthy relationships and trusting work environments. This effort builds on the training launched last fall, which was completed by 95% of U.S. franchisees and restaurant general managers.

“There is a deeply important conversation around safe and respectful workplaces in communities throughout the U.S. and around the world,” said Chris Kempczinski, President of McDonald’s USA. “Together with our franchisees, we have a responsibility to take action on this issue and are committed to promoting positive change.”

Dorothy Stingley, a member of the NFLA executive team, President of McDonald’s Women Operators Network, franchise owner and 36-year veteran of the McDonald’s business, said, “Our job as employers is to make that possible while fostering an environment where those ambitions are never compromised by concerns of safety. As franchisees, we’re developing comprehensive programs centered on building healthy relationships, trusting environments and resolving conflict to support our people in all facets of their lives – at work, at home and out in their communities.”

Restaurant supervisors and crew will be trained through a combination of interactive and computer-based training programs and in-person discussions in the following areas:

• Mitigating Workplace Violence: Will train employees to recognize indicators and develop the skills and confidence they need to safely diffuse difficult situations that may arise with customers, employees, and others.
• Safe and Respectful Workplace: Will educate supervisors and crew on harassment, discrimination and retaliation prevention, how to report a complaint and, importantly, how to appropriately engage as a bystander.
• Unconscious Bias:  Will build understanding for supervisors and crew on how unconscious bias can negatively impact relationships and that there are stereotypes, both negative and positive that exist in our subconscious that can affect our behavior and perceptions.
• Anti-Bullying: Will support identification and prevention of bullying behavior of all kinds both in and outside of the workplace.
• Bystander: Will review different bystander scenarios, power dynamics, and mitigation tactics.

Feedback will be collected through surveys and discussion groups from employees, franchisees and outside experts to inform future enhancements to the training. The curriculum for the next phase of this effort will be shared in 2020.