The fast food chain has more than 120,000 workers across the UK but there is one strict rule those in its restaurants must follow
The golden arches of McDonalds are an iconic sight seen across most towns and cities in the UK. Figures show the chain employs more than 120,000 people in its head office and restaurants ensuring a speedy and fresh meal can be in a customer’s hands in minutes.
But if a customer wants to show their gratitude for their meal there is a strict rule that must be followed. For the company does not allow its staff to accept tips.
Instead those wanting to say thanks with an extra cash payment will be pointed in a different direction. They will be told they can give it to the fast food giant’s charity, the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Posting on its website the firm explains: “Tips are not accepted as McDonald’s restaurants have a team environment which is not about rewarding individuals. If a customer would like to make a donation then they can do so in the RMHC boxes.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK works to help families with children in hospital, often miles from home. It has 14 houses across the country which it says “give families a warm and comfortable place to rest, eat and relax, just moments away from their child’s hospital ward”.
In the UK tipping is not compulsory however many people will tip up to 10-15% of the cost of their meal in a restaurant if they feel they have had good service. Some venues do automatically add a service charge which is typically about 12.5%.
With McDonald’s being a fast food outlet, which is a mixture of takeaway and eat-in dining, the question of if and what to tip might not arise. However the no-tip rule is strict in all the chain’s outlets, including in the USA where tipping is a standard practice in most eateries.
And one worker warned if you do try to give a tip it might leave the worker in a tough place. One USA employee took to social media to warn: “I work at McDonald’s. You’re not supposed to tip. It’s against policy and it puts the employees in an awkward position.”
