A graduate dreaming of getting hired by McDonald’s or a student expecting an internship at the prestigious food chain is no wonder. McDonald’s is one of the biggest food chains with an extended network of over 14,000 restaurants in the USA only. The food chain has become a source of income for over 2 million people across the outlets and franchises.
Every 1out of 8 Americans is working at Mcdonald’s or had worked with the food chain in the past. The food chain uses the modern approaches of recruiting and getting in touch with prospective employees. McDonald’s is a brand that relates to quality, and the same practices are followed in recruiting employees.
According to the Corporate publication of McDonald’s, the brand and franchises are planning to run a massive recruitment drive to hire around 250,000 people across different states of the U.S. It means that many people will get a chance to work at the global brand.
One most asked question by many aspirants and newbies before joining the food chain is:
Does McDonald’s provide a uniform?
Does the staff have to buy the uniform?
What is included in McDonald’s uniform?
And a lot of other questions related to the dressing code at McDonald’s might hit your mind. This article is all about answering your questions and queries. Besides answering ‘does McDonald’s provide a uniform?’, we will explore everything about the dress code and appearance when working at McDonald’s.
So let’s get into it.
History Of McDonald’s
The history of McDonald’s is beyond hamburgers, French Fries, and nuggets. The restaurant, opened by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, was a hot place for hotdogs. They founded their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940.
The credit for introducing the Speedee Service System(industry-standard at fast-food chains) also goes to McDonald’s brother. After 8 years of operations, they redesigned and rebranded their restaurant with a bigger menu comprising nine items. It included: fries, coffee, milkshake, cheeseburger, hamburger, soft drinks, a slice of pie, etc.
In 1953, the brothers started to franchise their restaurant and opened franchises at Phoenix in Arizona. Afterward, Ray Kroc, a salesman of Prince Castle, became their franchise assistant, and he took 1.9% of gross sales.
Due to a clash of vision between Kroc and McDonald’s brother, he bought the company for $2.7 million in 1961. However, problems had not ended for Kroc as McDonald’s brothers refused to give him rights on real estate property of the first restaurant in San Bernardino. Afterward, Kroc opened a new McDonald’s with the name Big M, and it was closed after 6 years of operations.
After Kroc’s buyout and stepping back, McDonald’s brothers continued providing premium quality services to their customers. The restaurant has an exceptional system in place to ensure consistent quality at all franchises and outlets in any corner of the world. And as of the year 2018, there were over 37500 outlets and franchises of McDonald’s across different countries.
Ray Kroc also inculcated a unique uniform and dress code, and the brand is still living this philosophy. Employees and managing staff follow a dress code and uniform at all the outlets and franchises.
Dress Code At McDonald’s
A dress code is a way organizations communicate to their employees about what they believe to be an appropriate work dress. Dress codes play an important role because employers tend to set a public image through a proper dress code.
Dress codes and uniforms don’t only mean the public image, but it is a great way of team-building at the workplace. Brands aim at improving their brand image and awareness by work uniforms. In short, uniforms are a healthy practice to promote unity and pride in where you are at.
If we talk about McDonald’s Dress Code, they have published an Employee Handbook explaining the protocols of working at McDonald’s. The appearance section of the handbook comprehensively addresses the dress code and uniform at McDonald’s.
The main points related to dress code can be summarized as:
- Wearing a clean McDonald’s uniform(shirt or blouse and cap) on every working day is mandatory. Employees can also wear a white tee shirt under uniform to keep warm.
- The company doesn’t allow any jeans, cords, fade-looking slacks, or tuck-in pants. All you’re allowed is ankle-length black pants(clean every day).
- Slip-resistant soles, polishable uppers, and black-in-color shoes are allowed only.
- McDonald’s policy about hairstyle is also clear. For males, hair should be cut above the collar and should be neatly combed. No loose hair for women to decrease the probability of hair falling in food.
- Female employees should have minimum makeup, and no moveable jewelry is allowed.
- Nails no longer than the business length
- Use of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and chew gums is not allowed at the workplace
- Any visible tattoos that are excessive in any way are not allowed
- Employees are compelled to take care of their personal hygiene(bathing regularly, using deodorant, washing hands regularly, brushing teeth, etc.)
- Crew Trainers, Swing Managers, and General crew must wear a hat during working hours.
Dress Code Evolution At McDonald’s
Even when McDonald’s was run by McDonald’s brother, a uniform and dress code was followed. After redesigning the brand in 1948, the owners launched a dress code in 1950. It included a white shirt with formal white pants and McDonald’s hat. The uniform tone was changed to brown in the 1970s. Later on, the uniforms were redesigned in 1980, and this time focus was on colors and stripes.
After decades of operations, McDonald’s redesigned their uniform once again in 2017 into black and gray colors. And you can experience that when visiting an outlet.
Latest Uniform At McDonald’s
In the year 2017, when McDonald’s redesigned their uniform, they left the old approach of using vibrant colors and went for gray & black uniforms. It was designed by a celebrity designer, Waraire Boswell.
It includes:
- Gray-toned t-shirt
- Gray denim apron
- Gray baseball cap
- Shirt and tie for managers
Pants are arranged by the employees according to the dress code of the brand.
What Is Not Involved In Dress Code?
At McDonald’s, the company provides the employee with a uniform when he joins the restaurant. The uniform doesn’t include the pants, but the brand has set clear guidelines that only black formal or casual pants are acceptable.
The employees are strictly prohibited any of the following pants
- Jeans with wide legs
- Leggings
- Running pants
- Side stitches on the seam of jeans
- Warm-up pants
Does McDonald’s Provide Uniform?
And here comes the most asked question by many people.
Does McDonald’s provide a uniform?
The answer is YES!
When an employee joins the company, a uniform is provided to him that doesn’t include the pants. Throughout the life of your employment at McDonald’s, the uniform is always the brand’s responsibility. However, following the proper dress code is the duty of employees.
Does Staff Have To Buy Their Own Uniform?
No, team members and employees don’t have to buy their own uniforms when working at McDonald’s. However, when you decide to leave the restaurant, you have to return the uniform before getting your last paycheck from the restaurant. The employer is responsible for providing all employees with the uniform. The number of uniforms one employee will receive from the employer is directly related to working hours or work shifts.
FAQs
Can the Staff of McDonald’s wear long-sleeved tops under the uniform?
People might develop skin conditions harmful to them and other people. The company allows a long-sleeved top as a part of the uniform range. In fact, McDonald’s provides shirts to their employees to maintain good hygiene practices.
What Is Not Included In Uniforms Provided By Mcdonald’s?
The uniform provided by McDonald’s doesn’t include pants and footwear. However, they offer the employees a discounted rate to get the pants and footwear through McDonald’s.
What are the hygiene and cleanliness policies at Mcdonald’s?
Food hygiene and safety are on the top of McDonald’s values and priorities. It means that the employees must follow high protocols to maintain hygiene and cleanliness.
There are a number of policies by the brand to guide employees and crew to wear clean uniforms, confine hair under hats, handle food with clean hands, etc.
Final Words
We have shared everything about McDonald’s dress code, uniform, and appearance policies. You also got an answer to if McDonald’s provide uniform to the employees. And the answer is yes. If you have already got hired by McDonald’s, we wish you good luck. And if you’re planning to work at the global food chain, this blog will help you understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness at McDonald’s. Additionally, it adds to your understanding of what to expect when joining McDonald’s.