McDonald’s employees are forbidden from doing these things!

This giant fast-food chain with 42,000 restaurants in over 100 countries has, as you’d expect, an impressive number of employees—around 2 million to be more exact.

We all know McDonald’s, and we all love it because it has tasty food at affordable prices. This is not the healthiest food of them all, but from time to time a Big Mac or a McFlurry are more than welcomed, and if we know how to set boundaries, there is nothing wrong with eating some McDondad’s food.

The thing is that managing so many employees is not easy, and this is why they have to follow a strict set of rules. This is something that happens in any big restaurant, but what sets McDonald’s apart are some, let’s say, unusual rules workers have to respect. Breaking them means getting fired, and this is why we find this so interesting.

Read on and discover what is happening behind that counter or drive-thru window you are seeing anytime you place an order at McDonald’s!

If you leave tips, everything goes to Ronald

We are used to leaving tips for the employees everywhere we go, but here, tipping employees isn’t part of the company culture. This is why if an employee gets tipped, they have to deposit it directly into the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) donation box at the register.

McDonald’s focuses on collaborative service rather than individual rewards because they want employees to work together more effectively. This philosophy extends to its stance on tips, and as a result, no one is allowed to get tips.

This company wants to support families in need, and this is why the generosity of its customers is redirected toward RMHC. In this way, these families can get housing, meals, and other support services. This happens worldwide and is now a major pillar of the company’s community involvement.

There is a specific order sandwiches are prepared

If you think that McDonald’s employees have an easy time, we are here to tell you that you are not quite right. Do you follow a specific order when making a sandwich at home? Probably not! But here, if employees are not respecting this rule, they might even get fired. Not cool, we know, but after all, rules are rules; there is not much you can do about them.

Every burger needs to be made the same way, every time, and this is why all of your favorite sandwiches, whether it’s a classic Big Mac or a McDouble, have a precise assembly order. The fast-food chain tries to find the best version to offer you the ideal taste and texture.

Employees are trained to respect this order because this is the key to delivering a consistent product. Even slight deviations, such as adding extra ketchup or missing a layer of cheese, can result in a product that doesn’t meet McDonald’s quality standards.

So, as a result, any worker who can’t keep up with the standard will suffer serious consequences, and sometimes this can even mean termination.

Wrong portion sizes are not allowed

Did this ever happen to you? Ordering something only to realize the portion you received seems smaller than the numbers written on the menu? Well, this will never happen to you at McDonald’s because the employees need to measure ingredients with exactness each time or else they can suffer severe consequences. And this applies to any item, from fires to milkshakes.

For example, when preparing a milkshake, employees should follow a strict portion size, and the only errors allowed are plus or minus 0.25 ounces. If the milkshake is made outside these limits, it is considered unacceptable.

This guideline ensures that every milkshake is the same no matter the location. A few inaccurate shakes could easily mess up with a worker’s performance review.

Free handouts are forbidden

McDonald’s has a strict policy when it comes to giving away free food. With a few exceptions, employees are forbidden to give free food for a few key reasons, most of them being about the business model, ethical considerations, and preventing potential abuse.

As you would expect, the company wants to keep being profitable, and giving food for free is not helping with this. McDonald’s has to ensure that every item handed out is accounted for and properly paid for.

Besides this, another role of the no-free food rule is to keep things fair and consistent. In this way, favoritism is eliminated, and all clients will receive the same service. Employees should respect this and never give food for free to anyone.

However, McDonald’s did make an exception during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. During those times, the fast-food chain wanted to show their appreciation to healthcare workers, and because of this, they offered them food giveaways.

Everybody must wear black pants and shiny black shoes

When it comes to the uniforms of the employees, McDonald’s has very specific guidelines. The company offers them shirts, hats, aprons, and name tags, but every worker is responsible for their own pants and shoes.

This uniform helps create a professional image that is instantly recognizable, and this is why the pants and shoes need to be black. Other colors are not allowed, and anyone who does not follow these instructions will need to get new items that align with the company’s preferences.

The pants requirement, which excludes denim, sweatpants, and leggings, is largely about prioritizing safety and practicality while also mentioning the image of the company. The shoes need to be nonslip because the slippery kitchen floors are dangerous and no one wants to be involved in work-related accidents.

Ronald McDonald also has to follow rules

This is the beloved clown mascot of McDonald’s, and yes, he is bound by many rules. First of all, the employees can refer to it by only one name, meaning no nicknames such as “Ronnie” are tolerated. and that is “Ronald McDonald.” This means no nicknames, such as “Ronnie,” are tolerated. This is all about the brand’s image, and this is why everyone should respect this rule.

Also, the person who plays the clown is required to keep their true identity secret because this is how the characters remain alive. The company doesn’t want people to associate the mascot with a person inside a costume, and this is why this rule is so important.

Even more, the performer has to follow a script when interacting with customers since the character needs to stay true to his cheerful, friendly person and always communicate the right things to the customers.

Also, Ronald McDonald’s public appearances are carefully regulated. The character is forbidden to appear in venues that might destroy the family-friendly image of the brand. This means you’ll never see Ronald McDonald in a nightclub.

Did you know any of these McDonald’s rules? If you have any story you want to share, don’t be shy and write it down in the comments section!

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You should also read: 11 Things That Happen if You Eat McDonald’s Every Day