On February 10th, McDonald’s announced that it will be hiring 14 year olds in its corporate restaurants. The decision has been met with criticism, with many people citing the company’s history of poor working conditions for young employees.
Some have also suggested that McDonald’s is exploiting the current youth unemployment situation to fill positions.
To answer the question of whether McDonald’s is actually hiring 14 year olds, it is important to consider the company’s history and current situation.
McDonald’s has a long history of poor working conditions for young employees. In 1998, the fast food chain was sued for violating minimum wage laws in California by paying employees at its restaurants below the minimum wage. The company settled the lawsuit in 2001 for $10 million.
In 2012, McDonald’s was again sued for violating minimum wage laws in Illinois by paying employees at its restaurants below the minimum wage. The company settled the lawsuit for $3 million.
McDonald’s current youth unemployment situation is also relevant to the question of whether the company is actually hiring 14 year olds. In November of 2017, McDonald’s announced that it would be closing more than 1,500 restaurants across the United States. The closures will result in the loss of about 14,000 jobs. The company has cited the declining popularity of the McMuffin as one reason for the closures.
The McMuffin is a sandwich that features a McMuffin patty, cheese, and egg. In recent years, McMuffins have been replaced by breakfast sandwiches that do not include a McMuffin patty.
Together, these factors suggest that McDonald’s is not currently hiring 14 year olds. The company is closing restaurants and looking to hire new employees in other areas, such as customer service.
The announcement of the 14 year old hires does not appear to be part of this overall strategy.
