Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are not mandated to offer paid holidays, vacation time, or sick leave. However, many do offer these benefits to employees as a way of providing job satisfaction and greater employer-employee loyalty. McDonald’s is one of the companies that offers holiday pay and has different plans in place depending on each country’s national policies.
In the United States, McDonalds pays their full-time and part-time employees an hourly rate in addition to any overtime or holiday pay they’re eligible for. Employees can earn up to 8 hours of holiday pay after working 720 hours within a 12-month period at any McDonald’s restaurant in the US. In addition, employees receive 1 hour of holiday pay for every 40 hours worked within a given 2 workweeks for all U.S locations combined.
In other countries like Canada and Australia, McDonald’s does offer paid annual leave including public holidays as well as other federal and statutory holidays. Additionally, regular shift meal allowances are provided along with other benefits such as childcare vouchers and discounts on various products from the chain’s restaurants
McDonalds Holiday Pay Policies
As a McDonalds employee, you may be interested in the holiday pay policies that are in place. Although it depends on the individual country, and whether it is a franchise or corporate owned restaurant, generally McDonald’s employees are entitled to receive holiday pay. In this article, we will be discussing the McDonalds holiday pay policies, and the rights of employees during the holidays.
Federal Holiday Pay
McDonald’s restaurants in the US are subject to federal laws governing employment and wages. Employees are provided paid holidays as outlined below.
Federal Holidays: Any employee scheduled to work on one of the following federal holidays is normally eligible for holiday pay, which is time and one-half their regular rate of pay: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (July 4th), Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Christmas.
Accrual Method Holidays: The Accrual Method requires employees to accrue a certain amount of hours prior to becoming eligible for holiday pay. The Accrual Method generally applies as follows: in order for an employee at McDonald’s to receive holiday pay for a particular federal holiday he or she must have been employed by the company for a minimum of six (6) months prior to the day that the federal holiday falls and must have worked at least one (1) full shift within thirty (30) days immediately preceding any particular federally recognized holiday.
If an employee qualifies under the Accrual Method they will only receive 1/2 or .50 per hour worked during their shifts prior to the federal holidays; however employees who do not qualify according to the Accrual Method may not receive any additional pay other than regular hourly wages. Furthermore if an eligible employee works on a federal holiday they will receive two times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked that day instead of just 1/2 as previously mentioned; however additional deviations from this policy may also exist depending on franchise regulations governing individual locations’ management policies.
State Holiday Pay
Depending on the state, McDonald’s employees may receive additional pay if they are scheduled to work and their shifts fall on a recognized state holiday. If an employee works a holiday shift, many states require McDonald’s to pay the employee one and a half or double time for all hours worked. Some of these states also offer employees paid time off if they are not scheduled to work during a recognized state holiday.
For example, according to the Illinois Department of Labor, McDonald’s employees in Illinois who observed Thanksgiving Day off must be paid at 1.5 times their regular rate of pay (unless they are 15 or younger). And in California, the law allows employers—including McDonalds—to substitute another day of rest or compensation at a premium rate instead of providing workers with paid time off on state holidays. The Pennsylvania departments of Labor & Industry mandate that if an employee works on a holiday in Pennsylvania, such as Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, he must receive double-time wages for all hours worked during those days.
Even though most states have laws requiring companies such as McDonalds to provide extra pay for working holidays, some states do not have explicit policies requiring it. Therefore, it is important that you check with your local labor department before assuming that you will automatically receive premium wages if you work on a recognized holiday in your area.
Local Holiday Pay
For some McDonald’s restaurant locations, holiday pay may be given for the eight designated local holidays. The amount of the holiday pay will vary from location to location based on seniority, tenure and local customs.
Holiday pay is separate from regular wages and is usually calculated at an hourly rate of 1½ times an employee’s regular hourly wage. The hours included in this calculation are all hours actually worked on that particular holiday up to the total amount specified by the employer. For example, if an employee normally works 8 hours a day, and their designated holiday provisions state that they receive 8 hours of holiday pay regardless of the number of hours worked that day, then the employee would still only be paid for any additional hours actually worked on the designated holiday.
Unlike most other businesses, some McDonald’s locations may also offer their employees a bonus or lump-sum payment associated with certain holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. Such bonus payments are usually allocated in addition to any accrued hourly wages earned by an employee during their time at microwave restaurant locations and include benefits such as extra days off with full pay and additional vacation leave Time Off (VTO) days with partial pay. Other bonus payments may include cash awards based upon length-of-service bonuses for loyalty throughout multiple years at McDonald’s restaurants.
Other Benefits
Working at McDonald’s can provide you with more than just a paycheck; the company offers its employees a range of benefits and perks. In addition to holiday pay, you may be eligible for other benefits. While some of these benefits may vary from location to location, you could have access to tuition assistance, discounts on food and merchandise, and medical, dental, and vision insurance. Let’s explore these benefits further.
Vacation Pay
In addition to their hourly wages and performance-based bonuses, McDonald’s employees may also receive vacation pay. Generally, this comes in the form of a paid vacation after working at the company for at least 6 months. This paid time off varies by each country’s location and McDonald’s policy, however most locations offer weekly pay, up to five days off per year.
Additionally, some locations may provide additional vacation time depending on an employee’s length of employment or even provide extrapaid holidays for designated federal and local holidays throughout the year. Availability again varies based on the location but it’s important for employees to know their rights when it comes to taking much needed break times away from work.
Apart from scheduled holidays and vacation days, McDonald’s employees may also take leave for illness or injuries that aren’t related to their job duties. These types of leaves can vary in length anywhere from two weeks (depending on policy) to 90 days (90-day personal leave policies vary by location).
Sick Pay
In addition to holiday pay, McDonald’s provides up to five days of paid sick leave for eligible crew members and managers on an annual basis. This policy was created with the goal of reducing potential spreading of illnesses among team members as well as providing them with the time and space to care for themselves. To qualify for these days, the team member or manager must have worked at least an average of eight hours per week over the preceding 12 weeks. The amount a qualifying employee may receive is based on their current rate of pay and hours worked within the preceding 12 weeks. Hours missed due to illness can be used for both perceptive and non-perceptive reasons. All McDonald’s employees should ask their manager about this benefit if they are unsure about specific details or eligibility requirements.
