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McDonald's begins McJob petition

 

McDonald's says its jobs are challenging and rewarding

Fast-food giant McDonald's has launched a petition to get the

dictionary definition of a McJob changed.

The Oxford English Dictionary currently describes a McJob as " an

unstimulating low-paid job with few prospects " .

 

McDonald's says this definition is now " out of date and insulting " ,

and claims a survey found that 69% of the UK population agree it needs

updating.

 

The campaign by the firm's UK arm is backed by the government's skills

envoy and former CBI boss Sir Digby Jones.

 

'Making a stand'

 

" The current definition is extremely insulting to the 67,000 people

who work for us within the UK, " said McDonald's senior vice president

David Fairhurst.

 

 

McDonald's UK has 76,000 staff

 

" It is also insulting for everyone else who works in the wider

restaurant and tourism sectors.

 

" It is time for us now to make a stand and get the Oxford English

Dictionary to change the definition. "

 

McDonald's says that in its staff surveys, 90% of employees agree they

are given valuable training that will be of benefit for the rest of

their working lives.

 

And 82% of its workers would recommend working at the company to their

friends.

 

'Derogatory'

 

McDonald's is now inviting its customers to sign petition books in its

stores, or alternatively via a new website, entitled Change The

Definition.

 

Meanwhile, Labour MP Clive Betts is sponsoring an Early Day Motion in

the Commons, which regrets the use of the derogatory phrases attached

to service sector jobs.

 

McDonalds says it will hand the petition into the Oxford English

Dictionary in the autumn.

 

Its campaign is further supported by British Chambers of Commerce

director general David Frost, British Retail Consortium director

general Kevin Hawkins and City & Guilds director general Chris

Humphries.

 

The word McJob was first used in the US in the 1980s and was

popularised by Douglas Coupland's 1991 book Generation X.

 

It first appeared in the online version of the Oxford English

Dictionary in March 2001.

 

Last year McDonald's tried to improve the image of its employment

opportunities with the slogan: " McProspects - over half of our

executive team started in our restaurants. Not bad for a McJob. "

 

 

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